GIFT  OF 


THE  MEETING  OF  MAYA  AND  SANDOVAL 
(See  page  36) 


MAYA 

A  STORY  OF  YUCATAN 


BY 

WM.  DUDLEY  FOULKE 
H 


ILLUSTRATED 


SECOND   EDITION 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S   SONS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

Cbe  •Knickerbocker  press 
1901 


M 


COPYRIGHT,   1900 

J!Y 

WM.  DUDLEY  FOULKE 

Set  up  and  electrotyped,  November,  1900. 
Reprinted,  January,  1901. 


TTbe  -Rnfcfecrbocher  pree»,  Hew  Both 


tfot 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE   CASTAWAYS      .         '...'..  .         1 

II.    THE    FUGITIVES           .           .  IO 

III.  GUERRERO    AND    AGUILAR  .  -13 

IV.  SANDOVAL        .           .           .  .  .21 
V.    THE   SENOTE     .           .           .  .  •      21 

VI.    THE   WATER    CARRIERS      .  .      32 

VII.  THE   FIRST   ENCOUNTER     .  .  -39 

VIII.  MEDITATION     .           .           .  .  -45 
IX.    HISTORY            .           .           .  .  .48 

x.  MAYA'S  SCHEME      .        .  .  .     58 

XI.    MAYA   AND    HER   MAIDENS  .  .      63 

XII.    DREAMS    AND   DEVICES       -.  .  .69 

XIII.  PREPARATIONS           .           .  .  .      76 

XIV.  THE   NEW-MADE   GOD         .  .  .82 

XV.  THE   WEDDING            .           .  .  .88 

XVI.  AT   THE   CHAMBER   IN   THE  TEMPLE  .      95 

iii 


251959 


iv  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGH 

XVII.  THE   EMBASSY      .  .  .  .104 

XVIII.  REPROOF — INSTRUCTION     .  .    I  1} 

XIX.  THE   SPY I  l6 

XX.  REVENGE  .  .  .  .122 

XXI.  RELEASE 127 

XXII.  EXILE 1^4 

XXIII.  AHCUNAL  .  .  .  .138 

XXIV.  LEGENDS 145 

XXV.  UXMAL        .  .  .  .  .153 

XXVI.  THE   CHILD  .  .  .  .162 

XXVII.  THE   GODS'    DECREES    .  .  .    1 66 
XXVIII.  THE   CROSS          .           .           .  .    174 

XXIX.  THE   INVADERS    .  .  .  .     l8o 

XXX.  CONSOLATION      .  .  .  .187 

XXXI.  CANEK        .  .  .     191 

XXXII.  BEREAVEMENT     .  .  .  .     194 

XXXIII.  THE  SONG  ....    2OO 

XXXIV.  SUBMISSION  ....    203 
XXXV.  THE   ORIOLE        ....    207 

XXXVI.  THE  NUPTIALS    .  .  .  .211 

XXXVII.  CONCLUSION         .  .  .  .215 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


52 


THE    MEETING    OF    MAYA    AND    SANDOVAL 

Frontispiece 

UXMAL.       THE  NUNNERY.       EAST  FAgADE, 
WITH  HOUSE  OF  THE  DIVINER  BEYOND  . 

UXMAL.        THE    NUNNERY.        CORNICE    ON 
SOUTH  FAgADE  .... 

UXMAL.      THE   NUNNERY.      PART  OF  WEST 

FAgADE  .  .  .  .  .158 


UXMAL.       HOUSE  OF  THE  DOVES 


174 


INTRODUCTORY 

THE  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  projecting 
northward  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
which  it  separates  from  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
is  above  all  other  regions  of  the  earth  a  fit 
abode  for  the  mysterious  and  the  supernat 
ural.  The  Spaniard  who  dwells  amid  more 
genial  surroundings  will  tell  you  that  it  is 
un  pais  muy  tn'ste,  "a  very  sad  land." 
And  this  it  is  especially  during  the  dry  sea 
son,  which  begins  with  our  winter  and  ends 
in  May — a  season  when  the  forests  are 
stripped  of  their  foliage  and  innumerable 
trunks  and  branches,  twisted  and  gnarled, 
wave  their  grotesque  arms  like  hosts  of 
spectres.  Upon  the  ground  there  is  no 
hint  of  the  green  herbage  of  our  more  tem 
perate  climes,  no  river,  brook,  nor  glisten 
ing  of  laughing  water  anywhere  ;  the  rain 
which  still  falls  occasionally  near  the  be 
ginning  and  end  of  the  long  drouth  steams 
vii 


viii  Introductory 

up  from  the  hot  soil  or  is  sucked  through 
crannies  of  the  limestone  into  pools  far 
down  amid  the  dark  recesses  of  the 
earth. 

For  great  caverns  lie  below,  profound 
abysses  into  whose  depths  the  inhabitants 
of  cities  now  in  ruins  used  to  betake  them 
selves  for  water  until  their  steps  have  worn 
deep  pathways  in  the  stone. 

It  is  a  low  flat  land,  as  monotonous  as 
Sahara — with  stunted  hills  and  stunted  trees 
— with  a  sun  which  hurls  its  rays  upon  the 
earth  till  all  things  hide,  or  slinks  behind  a 
mass  of  clouds  as  sullen  and  sombre  as  the 
land — with  an  air  which  stifles  the  throat 
that  breathes  it  at  noonday,  and  brings  the 
exhalations  of  miasma  with  the  chill  of  night 
— with  thickets  impenetrable  filled  with 
noisome  insects  and  venomous  reptiles,  but 
with  no  shade  nor  cheer.  Apart  from  the 
towns  and  straggling  villages  which  are 
clustered  near  the  coast,  and  excepting  oc 
casional  haciendas,  devoted  mainly  to  the 
culture  of  hennequin  (a  variety  of  the  cent 
ury  plant,  used  for  the  manufacture  of 
hemp),  such  to-day  is  the  wild  land  upon 
which  half  a  hundred  ruined  cities,  many  of 
f  them  vast  and  beautiful,  have  already  been 


Introductory  ix 

discovered,   while  perhaps  others  are  still 
hidden  in  the  wilderness. 

For  explorations  are  still  going  on  in  the 
interior,  which  is  inhabited  by  wild  tribes 
of  Indians   who   lurk   in  its  recesses  and 
sometimes  beset  the  path  of  the  wayfarer 
or  wage  a  desultory  war  against  the  govern 
ment.    And  yet  the  finely  chiselled  features 
and  delicate  limbs  of  this  fierce  race  bear 
witness  that  it  is  the  offspring  of  a  people 
far  different  from  that  which  dwells  upon 
the  land  to-day.     Indeed,  the  civilised  Indi-) 
ans  and  the  Mestizos  (descendants  of  the  ( 
same  Maya  stock,  intermingled  more  or  less  i 
with  Spanish  blood),   who  constitute  the 
farm  labourers  and  the  artisans  of  Yucatan, 
are  a  people  kind,  docile,  courteous,  hospit 
able,  scrupulously  clean  and  fairly  industri 
ous,  honest  and  intelligent  even  after  their 
long  service  as  hewers  of  wood  and  draw- 
ers  of  water  for   their   Castilian   masters.  ,. 
One  cannot  compare  these  Mestizos  with  / 
the  mongrel  inhabitants  of  other  parts  of 
Mexico  without  a  feeling  that  the  Maya  an^ 
cestor  must  have  been _far  ahead  of  his^Az^. 
feOieighbgurTn  those  things  which  go  to 
the  makingjjp  orcfiaracter] 
~~Perfiaps  the  "sadTTarTd"  upon  which  the 


x  Introductory 

Mayas  established  their  abodes  was  itself 
one  of  the  causes  of  their  superiority.  It 
was  in  barren  Attica  that  Greek  civilisation 
reached  its  highest  development.  It  was 
upon  the  shores  of  New  England  that  our 
own  best  institutions  first  took  root.  In 
like  manner,  it  was  upon  the  "Maayha" 
peninsula,  the  "land  without  water"  (for 
this  is  one  of  the  interpretations  of  the 
word),  that  there  were  found  the  noblest 
illustrations  of  the  culture  of  our  West 
ern  continent  before  the  corning  of  the 
European, 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

HPHE  author  acknowledges  his  obligations 
1  to  the  following  works  in  preparing 
the  historical,  legendary,  and  descriptive 
portions  of  his  book  :  Landa.  Relaciones  de 
las Cosas de  Yucatan;  CogoUudo,  Conquista 
de  la  NueoaEspana;  Irving,  Voyages  of  the 
Companions  of  Columbus  ;  Prescott  Con 
quest  of  Mexico;  John  L  Stephens,  Inci 
dents  of  Travel  in  Yucatan  ;  Hubert  Howe 
Bancroft,  Notice  Races  and  Mexico;  Desire 
Charnay,  Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World; 
Brasseur  de  Bourbourg,  Nations  Crrtfisees 
du  Mexique;  Daniel  G.  Brinton.  MffrsoL 
the  New  World  and  The  MJVJ  Chronicle; 
Wiffiam  H.  Holmes,  THSwwwafe  cf  Yuca- 
tan;  Justin  Winsor,  Narrative  and  Critical 
History  of  America ;  Eligio  Ancona,  His- 
toria  de  Yucatan  ;  Alice  Le  Plongeon,  Here 
and  There  in  Yucatan, 


MAYA 


MAYA 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  CASTAWAYS 

AT  the  beginning  of  the  year  1512,  when 
our  story  opens,  the  white  man  had 
not  yet  set  foot  in  Yucatan.  But  the  great 
islands  of  Fernandina  (or  Cuba)  and  His- 
paniola  (which  we  call  San  Domingo)  had 
passed  into  Spanish  hands,  and  from  these 
islands  expeditions  had  set  out  in  various 
directions  for  the  conquest  of  unknown 
lands.  One  of  the  most  important  was 
that  which  had  established  upon  the  isth 
mus  of  Panama  the  settlement  of  Darien. 
This  expedition  had  fallen  under  the  com 
mand  of  Balboa  ;  among  his  followers  was 
one  Valdivia,  who  was  afterwards  sent 
back  to  Hispaniola  to  make  report  of  the 
doings  of  his  chief,  to  procure  provisions, 


2'  Maya 


and  to  convey  to  the  royal  treasury  a  con 
siderable  quantity  of  gold. 

Off  the  coast  of  Jamaica,  Valdivia  was 
overtaken  by  a  hurricane,  and  his  small 
caravel,  a  clumsy  craft  to  battle  with  a 
storm,  was  soon  dismantled.  It  filled  with 
water,  lay  for  a  time  at  the  mercy  of  the 
waves,  and  finally  sank  upon  the  shoals 
known  as  Caymanes,  or  the  Alligators. 

Valdivia  and  his  crew,  twenty  in  all,  took 
refuge  in  an  open  boat.  They  had  no  sail, 
their  oars  had  been  broken  by  the  storm, 
and  they  could  make  no  headway  against 
wind  and  current.  For  thirteen  days  they 
drifted  helplessly.  They  were  tortured  by 
the  pangs  of  thirst,  and  one  after  another 
perished,  until  seven  had  been  cast  into  the 
sea,  where  their  bodies  quickly  became  the 
prey  of  the  sharks,  whose  long  sharp  fins 
were  seen  above  the  water  gliding  silently 
and  smoothly  close  to  the  side  of  the  boat. 

At  last,  on  a  day  when  hope  was  wholly 
dead  among  the  survivors,  they  came  in 
sight  of  land.  With  all  the  strength  left  in 
their  exhausted  bodies  they  struggled  to 
reach  the  shore,  and  finally  landed  on  a 
narrow  strip  of  beach.  Just  beyond  was  a 
low  ledge  of  rock  where  thickets  grew,  and 


The  Castaways  3 

at  whose  edge  the  palms  curved  outward 
and  then  rose  tall  and  stately  toward  the 
sky.  Here  the  wanderers  sank  upon  the 
warm  smooth  sand  in  utter  weariness. 

Suddenly  from  the  thickets  there  dashed 
forth  a  multitude  of  dark-skinned  natives. 
Most  of  these  had  no  other  garment  than  a 
long  cotton  cloth  wound  about  the  loins, 
but  a  few,  who  seemed  of  greater  dignity, 
wore  short  sleeveless  tunics  embroidered  in 
bright  colours  and  extending  to  the  knees. 
Their  long  matted  hair  was  coiled  round 
their  heads  and  decked  with  the  plumage  of 
tropical  birds.  Many  carried  bows  and 
arrows  or  brandished  spears  with  heads  of 
flint  ;  a  few  had  large  two-handed  swords 
of  hard  wood  with  sharp  flint  edges. 

Some  ran  quickly  toward  the  boat, 
dragged  it  across  the  beach,  and  broke  it  in 
pieces  on  the  rocks  at  the  edge  of  the  for 
est  ;  others  surrounded  the  forlorn  wan 
derers,  who,  too  weak  to  resist,  we£e  easily 
Their  hands  were^Bound 


with  strong  cords,  and  they  were  led  to  an 
Indian  village,  where  they  passed  through 
a  multitude  of  women  and  children,  and 
were  taken  into  an  enclosure  surrounded 
by  high  palisades.  Within  was  a  large 


4  Maya 

oval  cabin  or  lodge,  built  of  round  poles 
placed  close  together,  plastered  and  covered 
by  a  steep  thatched  roof  of  palm  leaves. 
Their^cords  were,  lonsed^nd  their  captors 
bmught  them  water,  honey,  and  cakes  of 
rn  lafe^rtoeleT  with"  fish 


were  shelteTand  refreshment, 
and  the  captives  began  to  hope  that  they 
had  fallen  into  kindly  hands.  But  after 
they  had  eaten,  they  were  bound  again, 
and  led  into  the  lodge.  Worn  out  by  ex 
posure  and  suffering,  they  lay,  some  upon 
hammocks  which  they  found  suspended 
from  the  ridge-poles  of  the  building,  and 
some  upon  beds  made  of  cane  network 
set  upon  short  posts  and  overspread  with 
mats  ;  and  before  the  night  closed  in,  they 
covered  their  dreadful  memories  and  un 
certain  apprehensions  with  the  mantle  of  8 
deep,  unbroken  sleep. 

When  they  awoke,  the  village  was  astir. 
The  gate  of  their  enclosure  had  been 
opened,  and  the  people  of  the  place  had 
gathered  to  gaze  upon  the  strange  beings 
and  wonder  at  their  light  skins,  their 
beards,  and  curious  clothing.  The  Span 
iards  could  not  understand  what  was  said, 
but  from  the  gestures  they  thought  the 


The  Castaways  5 

natives  seemed  to  remark  how  weak  and 
thin  they  were,  and  when  abundant  food 
was  offered  them  they  took  it  as  a  proof 
of  kindness  and  sympathy.  They  were 
suffered  to  live  in  idleness  and  great  rever 
ence  was  paid  them,  yet  they  were  freed 
from  their  fetters  only  while  they  were 
eating.  They  could  not  understand  the 
reason  for  this,  but  since  their  meal-time 
was  their  only  hour  of  liberty  they  naturally 
wished  to  prolong  it.  To  this  their  guards 
did  not  object,  but  always  waited  patiently 
till  they  were  done.  Eggs,  game,  rice, 
fruits,  and  a  strange  sort  of  wine,  not  very 
good  to  taste,  but  quite  intoxicating,  were 
added  to  their  diet.  They  ate  heartily,  and 
it  was  not  long  until  they  had  grown  strong 
and  well  again. 

One  of  their  number,  Jeronimo  de  Agui- 
lar,  was  a  priest.  Whenever  his  arms  were 
released  from  their  fetters  he  held  up  a  small 
crucifix  which  hung  from  his  neck,  while 
his  companions  fell  upon  their  knees  in 
prayer,  and  on  several  occasions  when  the 
wine  was  offered  them  he  endeavoured,  in 
rude  fashion,  to  celebrate  the  mass.  His 
captors  looked  on  with  interest  and  curiosity, 
and  upon  a  sign  from  him  they  followed 


6  Maya 

the  Spaniards  in  the  outward  postures  and 
signs  of  devotion,  as  if  willing  to  join  in 
adoration  of  the  strange  deity. 

After  the  Spaniards  had  remained  perhaps 
two  months  in  this  captivity,  they  noticed 
one  morning  that  a  great  crowd  had  gath 
ered  in  the  village.  Multitudes  arrayed  in 
bright  apparel  had  come  from  the  country 
round  about,  and  in  an  open  square  in  front 
of  their  prison  all  was  made  ready  for  a  great 
feast.  The  houses  were  bedecked  with 
flowers,  and  the  prisoners  saw  through  the 
chinks  of  the  palisades  that  there  were  many 
garlands  upon  the  sides  and  summit  of  a  flat- 
topped  pyramid  on  one  side  of  the  square. 
They  had  noticed  that  there  was  a  broad, 
steep  stairway  on  one  side  of  this  pyramid, 
and  a  stone  cornice  just  below  the  level 
surface  on  top,  and  they  wondered  what 
could  be  the  purpose  of  such  a  building.  It 
towered  high  above  the  houses  of  the  town, 
and  seemed  to  have  been  made  for  distinc 
tion  and  show.  There  was  a  large  stone 
near  the  middle  of  the  flat  area  at  the  sum 
mit,  and  another  smaller  one  in  front.  This 
day  they  saw  many  Indians  climbing  the 
stairway  and  scattering  flowers  along  the 
way. 


The  Castaways  7 

Evidently  some  public  ceremonial  was  at 
hand.  The  captives  also  noticed  that  other 
dignitaries  had  arrived  ;  a  few  of  these  wore 
upon  their  heads  gold  fillets  with  bright 
feathers,  and  one  carried  in  his  hand  a  broad 
flint  knife. 

The  gates  opened, —  Valdivia  and  four  of 
his  companions,  the  largest  and  stoutest  of 
the  company,  were  selected  and  led  forth, 
they  knew  not  whither,  through  a  silent 
and  respectful  multitude. 

An  hour  afterwards  those  who  remained 
saw  their  companions  dragged  naked  up  the 
steep  steps  of  the  pyramid.  The  image  of 
a  god,  grotesquely  shaped  in  clay,  was  car 
ried  before  them,  and  placed  upon  the  large 
stone  on  top,  and  one  after  another  each 
of  the  captives  was  stretched  on  the  smaller 
stone  by  four  of  the  long-robed  priests, 
while  a  fifth  threw  over  his  neck  a  wooden 
yoke,  shaped  like  a  snake,  pressing  it  down 
to  strangle  him,  and  a  sixth,  more  richly 
arrayed  than  the  rest,  opened  the  breast  of 
the  victim  with  a  knife,  and  tore  out  his 
heart,  which  was  held,  still  smoking  and 
palpitating,  up  to  the  sun,  and  then  dashed 
in  the  face  of  the  idol.  After  the  sacrifice, 
the  body  of  each  of  the  slaughtered  men 


8  Maya 

was  cast  down  the  steep  sides  of  the  pyra 
mid,  and  borne  away  by  attendants  who 
were  in  waiting  below. 

More  horrible  still  was  the  scene  that  fol 
lowed  ;  for  the  prisoners  could  see  upon 
tables  in  the  open  square,  amid  the  venison 
and  wild  fowl  and  bread  and  wine  and 
honey,  a  new,  strange  viand,  more  eagerly 
devoured  than  any  other  by  the  brutal  mul 
titude  that  sat,  crowned  with  garlands,  at 
the  festival. 

So  this  was  to  be  the  end  of  their  captiv 
ity  !  And  when  would  it  come  to  those 
who  were  still  alive?  How  long  would 
the  bloody  festival  continue?  The  sur 
vivors  observed  that  the  feast  was  followed 
by  a  drunken  orgy  in  which  all  the  men 
took  part,  even  their  own  guards,  to  whom 
wine  and  food  had  been  given  in  abundance. 

They  now  saw  their  chance  for  escape. 
Hitherto  they  had  made  no  attempt  of  the 
sort,  because  a  wandering  life  in  the  wilder 
ness  had  seemed  as  much  to  be  dreaded  as 
the  evils  of  bondage.  But  now,  with  death 
staring  them  in  the  face,  they  must  act 
and  act  quickly.  Their  keepers  had  fallen 
into  a  heavy  sleep.  One  of  the  captives, 
Gonzalo  Guerrero,  a  rough  sailor,  gnawed 


The  Castaways  9 

asunder  the  cord  which  bound  the  hands  of 
Aguilar,  and  the  priest,  thus  freed  from  his 
fetters,  released  his  companions.  Seizing 
the  weapons  of  their  guards,  the  Spaniards 
waited  until  nightfall  had  shrouded  the 
village,  then,  tearing  open  the  gate,  they 
rushed  into  the  open  square  in  front  of  it. 
Happily  they  found  amid  the  drunken 
throng  none  who  were  able  to  capture  them, 
and  they  ran  at  full  speed  to  the  nearest 
thickets.  Some  women  followed  for  a  time, 
screaming  and  pelting  them  with  stones, 
but  the  fugitives  were  soon  lost  in  the 
darkness.  Later  in  the  night  the  moon  rose 
and  by  its  aid  they  struggled  on  until  they 
deemed  themselves  safe  from  pursuit,  when 
they  took  refuge  in  a  small  cavern  hidden 
in  a  thick  grove  and  awaited  the  coming  of 
the  morning. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  FUGITIVES 

GLAD  though  they  were  to  escape  their 
present  doom,  when  they  reflected 
upon  their  condition,  they  found  it  pitiful 
enough.  What  hope  was  there  that  they 
could  ever  rejoin  their  countrymen  ?  They 
supposed  that  the  region  where  they  had 
landed  was  a  vast  island,  in  which,  even  if 
they  should  escape  the  doom  of  their  com 
panions,  they  must  remain  prisoners  forever. 
They  had  taken  bows  and  arrows  from  their 
keepers  and  they  could  make  others  for 
themselves.  Birds  of  every  kind  were 
abundant, —  turkey,  quail,  and  pheasants  as 
well  as  larger  game,  wild  hogs  and  deer, — 
and  they  believed  that  they  could  always 
find  food  in  the  wilderness.  Their  chief 
fear  was  of  the  lack  of  water,  for  they 
noticed  that  there  were  no  streams  in  the 

10 


The  Fugitives  1 1 

forest,  and  although  it  was  still  the  rainy 
season,  and  there  were  occasional  pools  for 
present  use,  the  fugitives  were  filled  with 
dread  as  to  what  would  happen  when 
the  dry  season  should  begin.  They  de 
termined  therefore  not  to  rest  until  they 
had  found  some  lake  or  river  which  would 
assure  them  a  constant  supply. 

They  resolved  to  travel  by  night,  the 
better  to  avoid  discovery.  In  the  daytime 
they  would  hide  in  the  forest,  going  forth 
only  in  pursuit  of  food. 

Thus  they  wandered  for  many  weeks,  but 
found  no  lake  nor  river.  They  made  rude 
hammocks  and  they  built  each  day  out  of 
leaves  and  branches  a  shelter  against  sun 
and  rain.  They  had  a  plentiful  supply  of 
game,  but  they  suffered  greatly  on  account 
of  the  unwholesome  climate.  First  one  and 
then  another  was  seized  with  the  fever  so 
prevalent  in  the  low-lands  of  the  tropics, 
and  the  sickness  of  one  often  detained  the 
others  for  many  days.  They  proceeded 
with  great  caution  from  the  fear  of  meeting 
bands  of  natives  or  of  coming  suddenly 
upon  some  Indian  town,  and  for  a  long 
time  they  eluded  observation.  One  day, 
however,  while  two  of  their  number  were 


12  Maya 

lying  ill,  the  others,  who  were  hunting  in  the 
neighbourhood,  were  seen  by  an  Indian  who 
brought  the  news  back  to  his  village.  The 
same  night  the  Spaniards  were  surrounded, 
and  after  a  short  struggle  all  were  made 
prisoners  again. 

They  were  distributed  as  slaves  among 
the  chief  men  of  the  community,  and  in 
*  many  ways  their  fate  seemed  more  cruel 
(   than  during  their  earlier  captivity.     They 
\were  fed  scantily  and  compelled  to  work  at 
/the   hardest   and    most    degrading    tasks. 
They  were  cruelly  beaten,  their  clothing  and 
/  all   that   they   had   saved   from  the  wreck 
\   were  taken  from  them,  even  the  crucifix  of 
/   Aguilar,  although  the  priest  was  allowed  to 
j    keep  his  breviary.     They  were  threatened 
/     with   death  and    torture    whenever    they 
failed  to  do  the  bidding  of  their  masters. 
They  were   pinioned   each   night   by   the 
wrists  to  strong  stakes   driven   into    the 
ground.      Little   mercy^was  shown  them 
even  in   sickness,    and  during  the  weary 
'  followed."  nfTe"~after   anothar 


succumbed  to  fever  and  suffering  until  all 
but  three  had  perished. 


CHAPTER   III 


GUERRERO    AND    AGUILAR 

/^UERRERO  and  Aguilar,  the  two  cap- 
Vj  tives  who  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
Ahkin  Xooc,  the  chief,  fared  better  than 
the  rest.  Their  master  died  soon  after 
they  were  taken,  and  they  became  the 
slaves  of  Taxmar,  his  successor. 

Once  when  an  embassy  set  out  to  make 
a  league  of  friendship  with  Nachan  Can, 
the  neighbouring  chief  of  Chatemal,  Guer 
rero  was  sent  as  a  gift,  with  copal,  cacao, 
cotton  cloth,  and  Indian  damsels.  He 
soon  became  useful  to  his  new  master — 
he  was  dextrous  in  making  tools  and 
weapons,  he  was  skilful  with  bow  and 
arrow,  and  best  of  all  he  aided  his  chief  by 
a  well-laid  plan  of  attack  against  a  tribe 
which  was  at  war  with  Chatemal.  His 
master  won  the  battle,  wherein  much  booty 
13 


14  Maya 

and  many  prisoners  were  taken,  and  the 
grateful  Nachan  Can  now  commanded 
Guerrero  to  be  baptised  according  to  the 
Maya  rites,  and  to  wed  one  of  the  chief 
maidens  of  the  tribe — a  buxom  damsel,  not 
quite  such  a  one  as  he  might  have  chosen 
in  his  native  town  of  Palos,  but  a  girl  strong, 
lithe,  agile,  and  good-humoured — by  far  the 
most  palatable  morsel  among  the  maidens 
of  her  race. 

Guerrero  was  thrown  into  great  con 
fusion  by  this  command.  His  refusal  would 
no  doubt  awaken  the  religious  zeal  of  his 
offended  master,  and  Nachan  Can  might 
well  deem  it  his  duty  to  devote  his  captive 
to  the  gods  with  other  prisoners  who  were 
to  be  sacrificed  at  a  coming  festival. 

The  old  sailor  had  been  a  sad  dog  during 
his  roving  life,  and  was  not  ready  to  die. 
Still  he  had  some  qualms  of  conscience  at 
turning]iis_ba£kupon  the  saints,  the  angels, 

^ th^YTrgTn,  a  rid! he  Holy  Trinity.    Bui  then, 

/    during  the  past/few  months  what  had  the 

N  saints,  the  angels,  the  Virgin,  and  the  Holy 

I    Trinity  done  for  him  ?    Why  not  seize  the 

present  opportunity  for  life  and  comfort  ? 

/     This    baptism    and   wedding   were    mere 

/       forms,  he  could  make  what  mental  reser- 

7  L  


Guerrero  and  Aguilar         15 

vjrtions  he  pleased,  and  if  he  should  ever 
ge\  out  6f  that  wretched  country,  he  wVild 
repent  with  all  his  heaVt  and  God  woyld 
surely  forgiVe  him.  If  npt,  he  would  have 
at  lea\t  a  few  years  of  grace  before  per- 
ditionA 

^ n      — 

Such  were  the  sophistries  of  his  unlet 
tered  mind.  Life  is  sweet  even  in  Yucatan. 

So  he  went  through  the  baptismal  cere 
mony  with  his  secret  reservations,  he  took 
to  himself  the  dusky  princess  and  he  be 
came  a  great  man  of  the  tribe. 

But  a  downward  step  is  not  easily  re 
taken.  He  had  indeed  professed  the  faith  of 
the  Mayas,  but  he  had  not  yet  given  those 
unalterable  proofs  of  his  sincerity  which 
public  opinion  demanded.  He  must  be  ta- 
tooed  !  He  must  wear  in  ears  and  lips 
and  nostrils  the  badges  of  his  exalted  rank  ! 

So  at  last  he  underwent  that  painful  pro 
cess  which  would  sever  all  hope  of  re 
storation  to  his  kindred.  His  cheeks  were 
decorated  with  the  symbols  of  the  strange 
religion — the  sun,  mystically  portrayed  in 
yellow  and  Kukulcan,  the  "serpent  be 
decked  with  feathers"  worshipping.  Heavy 
gold  rings  adorned  his  features.  At  last  he 
had  become  beautiful  and  godlike  ! 


1 6  Maya 

He  lived  many  years  ;  children  were 
born  to  him  who  inherited  their  father's 
talents  and  their  mother's  piety — for  still  it 
was  observed  that  the  father  lacked  zeal 
when  he  took  part  in  the  elaborate  cere 
monials  and  bloody  rites  of  the  people  of 
Chatemal. 

Some  years  afterwards,  when  Cortes 
(whose  ships  lay  off  the  coast  of  Yucatan 
before  his  descent  into  Mexico)  sent  by  a 
secret  messenger  a  letter  offering  ransom 
for  the  Spanish  captives,  the  old  sailor  had 
many  pangs  of  regret,  yet  his  lot  had  now 
been  cast  irrevocably  with  the  tribe.  He 
could  not  go  home  again  without  becoming 
an  object  of  derision.  Moreover,  his  wife 
and  children  with  many  tears  besought  him 
not  to  leave  them,  so  he  remained,  and 
when  at  last  he  died,  as  we  shall  relate 
hereafter,  let  us  hope  that  trie  good  Lord, 
acce£tjngj^s  finaj^rjenitence,  allowed  him 
to  atone  by  a  short  stay  ifTpttrgatory  for  a 
life  of  heresy  born  of  such  dire  necessity. 

The  career  of  Aguilar,  who  had  remained 
with  Taxmar,  was  much  more  edifying. 
The  poor  priest,  bereft  even  of  his  crucifix, 
was  in  sore  straits,  but  had  not  his  beloved 
Mother  Church  told  him  that  after  all  it  was 


Guerrero  and  Aguilar         17 

the  heart  and  not  the  symbol  which  was 
the  important  matter  for  salvation  ?  Each 
morning  he  might  be  seen  upon  his  knees 
in  prayer  adoring  an  invisible  deity,  and 
when  they  threw  him  upon  his  face  before 
their  gods,  he  always  cast  his  eyes  above 
the  horrible  idols  and  seemed  to  look  for 
succour  to  the  skies. 

Taxmar,  however,  was  a  man  of  sense  ; 
he  worshipped  the  gods  for  what  they  could 
give  him,  nothing  more,  and  seeing  that 
oftentimes  his  sacrifices  to  Acanum  brought 
him  no  game,  and  his  offerings  to  Chaac 
brought  him  no  crops,  he  had  been  filled 
with  doubt  as  to  the  power  of  these  deities 
to  bring  game,  crops,  and  other  essentials 
to  happiness.  Sometimes  the  gods  would 
help  him,  but  again  they  brought  sorrow 
upon  his  people,  so  Taxmar  began  to  look 
upon  the  strange  faith  of  his  captive  with 
a  skeptic's  tolerance.  Perhaps  the  Christ 
ian's  God  was  as  good  as  his  own  ;  why 
then  should  he  not  suffer  his  slave  to  in 
dulge  in  this  harmless  worship  ? 

Aguilar,  like  Guerrero,  turned  out  to  be  a 
useful  man.  He  served  his  chief  with 
meekness  and  zeal.  He  was  brave  in  bat 
tle  and  wise  in  council.  The  high-priest 


1 8  Maya 

of  the  tribe  indeed  had  besought  Taxmar  to 
offer  the  stranger  to  the  gods,  and  make  an 
end  of  his  silly  superstitions,  but  Aguilar 
craftily  said  to  hjs  master  : 

"Thou  canst  dowrfh  me  as  thou  wilt, 
butthou  art  far  too  wiseto~3esTroy'ofTe"who 
is  wholly  devoted  to  thee." 

So  the  cacique  refused  to  part  with  him, 
preferring  the  certain  services  of  his  captive 
to  the  whimsical  favours  of  uncertain 
deities.  There  are  men  who  are  like  this 
to-day. 

Then  the  high-priest  talked  of  treachery 
and  told  the  chief  that  the  virtue  of  Aguilar 
was  a  pretence.  There  was  one  thing 
that  neither  of  them  could  understand. 
The  Spaniard  had  always  kept  aloof  from 
women.  Surely  this  must  be  deceit  !  So 
a  scheme  was  devised  to  test  him.  Tax- 
mar  sent  the  captive  with  a  beautiful  young 
slave  girl  to  fish  in  the  early  morning  in 
a  distant  lake.  They  were  to  spend  the 
night  upon  its  borders,  and  the  girl  had 
strict  orders  to  beset  the  poor  priest  with 
the  same  temptation  which  the  Devil  once 
prepared  for  good  St.  Anthony.  The  night 
was  cold,  but  Aguilar  kindled  a  fire  and 
slept  alone  upon  the  beach  some  distance 


Guerrero  and  Aguilar         19 

from  the  single  hammock  in  which  he  had 
wrapped  the  maiden  in  warm  skins.  On 
their  return  she  told  to  wondering  ears  the 
story  of  his  strange  behaviour,  and  so  great 
became  the  confidence  of  the  chief,  that 
when  Taxmar  went  to  war  he  intrusted 
the  priest  with  the  management  of  his 
household  —  his  wife,  his  slaves,  and  his 
children. 

Years  passed  and  a  messenger  arrived 
with  Cortes'  letter  wound  in  the  tresses 
of  his  hair.  The  heart  of  the  poor  exile 
leaped  for  joy,  and  he  besought  his  master 
to  accept  the  proffered  ransom  and  let  him 
go.  He  prevailed,  and  setting  out  with  the 
messenger,  he  reached  the  spot  whither 
Cortes  had  sent  Ordaz,  his  lieutenant,  with 
three  small  vessels  to  wait  for  the  wander 
ers.  Ordaz  had  already  departed,  but  Cor 
tes  was  still  at  the  island  of  Cozumel,  a  few 
leagues  from  the  coast.  Aguilar  hired  a 
canoe  with  six  oarsmen  and  they  landed 
near  the  ships  of  the  great  captain.  Here 
they  were  seized  and  brought  before  the 
commander.  The  poor  priest,  in  aborigi 
nal  nakedness,  with  long  hair  and  skin  as 
brown  as  that  of  his  companions,  was 
taken  for  an  Indian  like  the  rest.  He  threw 


20  Maya 

himself  upon  the  ground,  and  in  broken 
Castilian  (for  he  had  almost  forgotten  his 
native  tongue)  he  besought  the  protection 
of  his  countryman.  Cortes  welcomed  him, 
gave  him  new  garments,  inquired  with  ten 
derness  after  his  companions,  and  then 
carried  the  exile  with  him  upon  his  cam 
paign  for  the  conquest  of  the  Aztec  king 
dom.* 

*  Amid  many  conflicting  accounts  of  the  reception  of 
Aguilar  by  Cortes,  I  have  chosen  that  of  Bernal  Diaz,  who 
was  present.  Aguilar  afterwards  became  "  regidor  "  of 
the  City  of  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  IV 


SANDOVAL 

THE  Spanish  chronicles  speak  of  Guer 
rero  and  Aguilar  as  the  only  survivors 
of  the  castaways  in  Yucatan.  But  there  was 
another — Pedro  de  Sandoval,  a  distant  rel 
ative  of  that  companion  of  Cortes  whose 
name  has  become  famous  in  the  history  of 
the  Conquest  of  Mexico.  Sandoval  was 
one  of  those  who  had  been  captured  by  the 
tribe  of  Ahkin  Xooc,  and  in  the  distribution 
of  the  captives  he  had  fallen  to  the  portion 
of  the  Indian  who  had  first  discovered  the 
Spaniards.  His  fate  was  harder  than  that 
of  those  who  had  been  allotted  to  the  chief, 
for  he  was  put  to  the  most  menial  tasks  and 
was  scantily  fed  and  poorly  housed.  But 
during  his  captivity  of  nearly  two  years  he 
acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  lan 
guage  of  the  country.  At  last  he  fell  ill  of 

21 


22  Maya 

a  fever,  and  so  miserable  was  his  condition 
that  when  one  morning  he  was  no  longer 
seen,  it  was  said  that,  like  the  others  who 
had  perished  from  disease  and  hardship,  he 
too  was  dead,  and  the  mound  was  shown 
under  which  he  had  been  buried. 

The  fact  was,  however,  that  Sandoval, 
seeing  his  comrades  perishing  around  him, 
had  resolved  to  take  his  chances  in  the  forest 
rather  than  bear  longer  a  hopeless  cap 
tivity.  An  opportunity  occurred  one  night, 
when  his  wrists  had  been  insecurely  fas 
tened  and  the  Indians  about  him  were 
asleep.  He  stole  forth  from  the  village  un 
observed,  taking  nothing  with  him  that  he 
had  not  brought  into  the  world,  yet  even 
thus,  happy  in  his  liberty. 

The  joy  of  youth  had  come  to  him  with 
returning  health  (for  the  fever  had  passed 
away),  and  a  free  life,  even  with  the  deer 
and  wild-cat,  seemed  better  than  the 
bondage  from  which  he  had  fled. 

Making  himself  a  primitive  bow  from  the 
saplings  and  tendrils  of  the  forest,  and  fash 
ioning  rude  arrows  from  the  straight  twigs 
and  sharp  stones  in  his  path,  he  was  able, 
with  nuts  and  wild  fruits  and  abundant 
game,  to  provide  for  the  necessities  of 


Sandoval  23 

nature.  There  were  many  dangers  in  such 
a  life,  but  what  was  danger  by  the  side  of 
slavish  misery  ?  He  wandered  aimlessly 
from  day  to  day,  avoiding  all  pathways  and 
all  signs  of  human  habitation.  If  he  could 
have  had  a  comrade  in  his  wild  life  he  would 
have  been  content ! 

One  peril,  however,  greater  than  all 
others,  more  deadly  than  jaguar  or  reptile 
now  beset  him — the  lack  of  water.  At  the 
time  of  his  escape  the  rainy  season  was  just 
over.  The  pools  which  he  encountered  in 
the  forests  became  rarer  and  shallower,  and 
at  last  they  were  wholly  dry. 

He  wandered  for  days  and  found  not  a 
drop  to  quench  his  intolerable  thirst.  He 
killed  a  deer,  and  with  mad  eagerness 
drank  its  blood,  leaving  its  flesh  untasted. 
He  tried  to  follow  the  tracks  of  the  wild 
beasts  on  their  way  to  water,  but  they 
crossed  each  other  everywhere,  and  he 
would  thread  for  hours  a  tangled  labyrinth 
only  to  lose  it  in  the  end  ;  for  he  was 
unskilled  in  tracing  foot-prints  in  the  wil 
derness. 

At  last,  on  one  broiling  day,  while  strug 
gling,  faint  from  thirst,  through  the  dense 
undergrowth,  he  saw,  a  little  way  ahead  of 


24  Maya 

him,  what  seemed  a  small  opening  in  the 
woods.  On  reaching  it,  he  found  a  great 
e,  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  across  and 
nearly  circular  in  shape,  which  proved  to 
be  the  mouth  of  a  huge  cavern,  still  larger 
in  dimensions,  that  yawned  beneath  him. 
He  leaned  over  the  edge,  and  far  below  he 
saw  plainly  by  the  light  of  the  vertical  sun 
streaming  into  the  abyss,  a  pool  of  clear, 
light-green  water,  in  which  fish  were  dart 
ing  to  and  fro. 

That  sight  was  more  maddening  to  him 
than  the  cup  _of_  Tantalus.  His  parched 
tongue  Was  hariging^from  his  mouth,  his 
eyes  were  bursting  from  their  sockets,  his 
brain  was  whirling  in  flame,  and  yet  there 
was  a  cool  refuge  from  the  heat — shelter, 
water,  restoration — sparkling  a  hundred  feet 
below  him,  seemingly  as  inaccessible  as  the 
wells  of  his  native  city  across  the  sea  ;  for 
as  he  skirted  the  margin  of  the  opening,  he 
found  that  it  was  simply  the  top  of  an  ir 
regular  dome,  impossible  to  scale  or  to 
descend.  On  one  side,  indeed,  vines, 
bespangled  with  bright  tropical  flowers 
crept  over  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  and 
hung  in  matted  masses  down  from  the 
edge,  but  below  their  extreme  reach  the 


Sandoval  25 

gap  was  so  great  that  he  could  not  leap 
into  the  shining  water,  and  if  he  did,  how 
could  he  ever  climb  again  those  arching 
walls  of  rock  ?  A  living  death  would  be 
the  price  of  his  short-lived  enjoyment. 

But  his  great  need  lent  wings  to  his  in 
vention.  The  sight  of  the  tendrils  that 
hung  from  the  opening  gave  him  the 
thought  that  he  might  find  others  in 
the  neighbourhood  with  which  to  reach 
the  pool  below.  He  saw  many  vines  en 
circling  the  trees  around  him,  but  none 
long  enough  for  his  purpose.  He  began, 
however,  to  disentangle  them,  hoping  that 
by  connecting  three  or  four,  he  might  con 
struct  a  natural  rope  for  his  descent.  After 
some  hours  he  had  spliced  several  of  these 
vines  together  in  such  a  way  that  it  seemed 
possible  to  reach  the  bottom.  Winding 
one  of  them  around  the  trunk  of  a  tree 
that  stood  near,  and  throwing  the  others 
over  the  edge  of  the  orifice,  he  saw  the 
lower  end  of  his  rope  trailing  in  the  water 
below  and  frightening  away  the  fishes 
that  were  swimming  where  it  fell.  But  he 
had  not  been  able  to  join  the  vines  secure 
ly  by  the  thin  withes  he  had  gathered  for 
that  purpose,  and  there  was  great  danger 


26  Maya 

that  the  rope  might  break  somewhere  In 
his  descent,  or  that  its  sections  might  fall 
apart  after  he  had  reached  the  bottom. 
Still  his  need  was  so  great  that  he  resolved 
to  make  the  trial. 

Swinging  himself  from  the  margin,  he 
climbed  down,  hand  over  hand,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  he  felt  the  cool  water  about 
his  ankles.  Thereupon  he  let  go  his  frail 
ladder  and  plunged  into  the  pool. 

What  joy  to  swim  in  its  liquid  depths, 
to  drink  his  fill  from  the  clear  waters,  to 
lie  in  calm  repose  upon  the  broad  ledge  of 
rock  around  its  border !  He  had  no  doubt, 
if  his  rope  would  but  hold  together,  that 
he  could  climb  again  to  the  mouth  of  the 
cave.  The  vines  were  twisted  and  gnarled 
and  would  furnish  in  many  places  an  ex 
cellent  foothold  where  he  could  rest  in  his 
ascent. 

So,  wearied  with  his  long  efforts,  he 
made  a  rough  bed  of  some  grass  and  weeds 
that  grew  on  a  scanty  patch  of  earth  close 
to  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  fell  into  a 
long,  deep  slumber. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  SENOTE 

"• 

WHEN  he  awoke,  it  seemed  as  if  even 
ing  were  coming  on,  but  he  no 
ticed  that  the  shadows  lay  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  that  toward  which  they  had 
been  creeping  when  he  lay  down  beside 
the  pool.  It  was  plain  then  that  he  had 
outslept  the  night.  He  began  now  at 
leisure  to  inspect  his  surroundings.  The 
dome  above  him  was  irregular  and  some 
what  oblong.  The  bottom  of  the  cave 
was  perhaps  two  hundred  yards  long  and 
more  than  half  as  wide,  the  pool  in  the 
middle  occupying  scarcely  as  much  space  as 
the  shelving  rocks  around  it.  It  was,  how 
ever,  of  great  depth,  and  although  no  stream 
could  be  seen  flowing  into  it  or  out  of  it, 
there  seemed  to  be  a  slight  current  coming 
from  some  source  still  deeper  in  the  entrails 
27 


28  Maya 

of  the  earth.  The  water  was  very  clear,  and 
its  faint  green  colour  was  evidently  due, 
not  merely  to  the  way  in  which  the  light 
through  the  opening  above  was  reflected 
by  the  limestone  walls,  but  also  to  some 
peculiar  qualities  of  its  own.  The  matted 
vines,  sparkling  with  wild  flowers,  hung 
in  rich  festoons  down  from  the  orifice.  A 
few  palms  and  cacti  leaned  over  the  edge, 
and  above  these  there  were  light  clouds 
chasing  each  other  swiftly  across  the  deep 
blue  of  the  sky.  The  rope  by  which  he 
had  descended  was  still  dangling  above 
the  pool,  swayed  this  way  and  that  by  a 
light  breeze  which  seemed,  he  thought,  to 
blow  from  one  side  of  the  cavern  toward 
the  opening  above,  for  the  leaves  of  the 
vines  would  sometimes  curl  upward  as  if 
pressed  from  below. 

After  another  deep  draught  from  the 
waters  of  the  pool  and  another  plunge  into 
its  cool  depths,  Sandoval  prepared  to  ascend, 
for  a  sharp  morning  appetite,  which  there 
was  no  means  of  satisfying  in  the  cavern, 
had  followed  his  long  slumber.  But  when 
he  examined  more  narrowly  his  rope  of 
vines,  he  made  a  dreadful  discovery.  The 
constant  swaying  had  gradually  uncoiled 


The  Senote  29 

and  loosened  the  fastening  of  the  nearest 
link  of  his  precious  chain,  and  it  seemed 
as  though  the  lowest  section  of  the  rope 
was  soon  to  fall.  Perhaps  it  would  still 
bear  his  weight.  He  must  act  quickly  if 
at  all.  Seizing  the  vine  as  it  swung  near 
the  edge  of  the  water,  he  began  to  climb 
with  great  activity,  but  before  he  reached 
the  critical  fastening,  his  worst  fears  were 
realised.  The  sections  parted  and  he  fell, 
sinking  deep  into  the  pool  below. 

Struggling  to  the  surface,  he  sat  down  on 
the  bank  breathless  and  despairing,  a  prey 
to  the  gloomiest  forebodings.  His  fate 
seemed  even  more  terrible  now  than  when 
he  had  stood  in  expectation  of  sacrifice,  for 
then  at  least  the  last  pang  would  soon  have 
been  over  and  there  would  have  been  com 
panionship  in  suffering.  But  thus  to  die 
alone,  to  undergo  the  prolonged  agony  of 
starvation  —  the  thought  of  it  stifled  and 
choked  him.  Perhaps  he  could  fashion 
from  the  contents  of  the  cavern  some  im 
plement  to  catch  those  beautiful  creatures 
which  swam  and  sported  in  the  lusty  joy 
of  life  before  his  eyes.  But  where  was  the 
net,  the  hook,  the  bait  wherewith  to  make 
them  his  prey  ?  He  walked  again  and 


30  Maya 

again  around  his  prison  searching  every- 
where,  but  there  was  no  succour. 

Then  another  hope  toyed  with  his  suffer 
ings.  Whence  came  that  soft  wind  which 
blew  toward  the  entrance  of  his  prison 
house  ?  There  must  be  some  other  way  to 
the  outside  world.  He  tracked  the  source 
of  the  breeze  to  a  long  cleft  in  the  rocks 
on  one  side  of  the  cave.  But  the  cleft  was 
not  wider  than  the  breadth  of  a  hand  — 
there  was  no  egress  there. 

Suddenly  he  noticed  on  the  ground  a 
curving  track,  where  the  rock  seemed 
smoother  than  elsewhere,  as  if  it  had  been 
worn  into  a  path,  perhaps  by  men,  per 
haps  by  wild  beasts  upon  their  way  to 
water.  Here  then  was  the  hope  of  rescue. 
Let  him  follow  the  track  and  he  might  dis 
cover  the  door  of  his  prison.  He  found 
indeed  that  the  pathway  led  behind  a  rock 
so  much  like  the  walls  of  the  cavern  that 
the  opening  could  not  be  seen  until  he  was 
but  a  few  steps  away. 

Without  knowing  what  was  before  him, 
he  plunged  into  the  darkness.  Emerging 
from  a  narrow  passage,  he  walked  upon  a 
still  narrower  ledge  at  the  side  of  a  deep 
chasm.  On  his  left  was  a  jagged  wall  and 


The  Senote  3 1 

on  his  right  he  could  hear  the  gurgling  of 
water  far  below  him.  Anywhere  upon  the 
way  a  panther  might  meet  him,  or  some 
human  being  more  pitiless  than  the  beasts 
of  the  forest.  Yet  what  were  such  dan 
gers  by  the  side  of  the  terrible  fate  from 
which  he  fled  ? 

He  made  his  way  cautiously,  yet  swiftly, 
feeling  with  his  feet  for  the  smooth  path  in 
the  rock  which  was  always  distinguishable 
from  the  rougher  surface  on  either  side. 
He  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  he 
seemed  to  hear  the  confused  sound  of 
voices,  and  then  there  appeared  in  the  dis 
tance  the  glimmer  of  a  flickering  light.  In 
voluntarily  he  turned  back  and  in  a  few 
moments  had  again  reached  the  open 
cavern. 

Here  he  began  to  look  hurriedly  for  some 
place  of  concealment  ;  there  was  none  save 
at  the  farther  end  close  to  the  limestone 
wall ;  there  a  little  promontory  of  rock 
some  two  feet  high  projected  into  the  pool 
and  offered  shelter.  The  water  was  quite 
deep  at  that  point,  and  if  he  kept  his  body 
submerged  the  small  jutting  ledge  would 
hide  his  face.  He  betook  himself  at  once 
to  this  place  of  refuge  and  there  waited. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    WATER    CARRIERS 

THE  confused   murmur  of    voices  was 
heard  again  ;  then  it  broke  forth  into 
a  low  song. 

But  music,  which  everywhere  else  upon 
God's  footstool  brings  comfort  and  delight 
to  him  who  hears  it,  was  laden  with  stern 
forebodings  to  the  castaway.  For  music 
was  the  prelude  to  those  horrible  religious 
rites  in  which  his  own  part  was  the  doom 
of  sacrifice.  It  seemed  to  him,  however, 
that  these  voices  were  softer  than  the  harsh 
tones  of  the  priests  at  the  dreadful  orgies 
he  once  had  witnessed,  and  peering  through 
a  crack  in  the  limestone,  he  saw,  entering 
the  cavern  at  the  opposite  side,  ajjle^of-4n- 
4Jan  maidens,  each  with  a  water  jar  upon 
her  shoulder  —  all  but  one,  for  the  damsel 
who  led  them,  more  richly  apparelled  than 
the  rest,  was  free  from  any  burden. 
32 


The  Water  Carriers          33 

The  others  were  arrayed  in  the  clothing 
common  to  the  unmarried  women  of  the 
higher  classes  —  short  white  skirts  em 
broidered  at  the  lower  edge,  and  loose 
sleeveless  tunics  covering  the  waist.  Their 
heavy  black  hair  was  combed  in  tresses  ;  a 
part  of  it  was  wound  around  their  heads 
and  decorated  with  flowers  and  small 
bright  feathers,  while  another  part  hung  in 
long  braids  down  their  backs.  They  car 
ried  their  jars  to  the  pool,  they  splashed 
their  feet  in  the  clear  water,  they  filled  the 
vessels  and  set  them  close  to  the  margin  ; 
then  they  sat  down  upon  the  flat  rock  to 
talk.  They  had  also  brought  with  them 
fruit  and  cakes  of  corn  which  they  dis 
tributed  and  began  to  eat. 

It  was  clear  now  that  this  pool  was  one 
of  the  "senptes  "  which  furnished  to  some 
city  in  the  neighbourhood  a  part  at  least  of 
its  supply  of  drinking  water,  and  that  these 
girls  had  come  to  perform  their  morning 
task  of  fetching  the  water  to  their  homes. 

They  all  talked  at  once  and  so  confused 
was  the  chatter  that  Sandoval  could  under 
stand  but  little  of  what  they  said.  But  he 
noticed  that  they  addressed  their  remarks 
chiefly  to  the  tallest  of  their  number,  the 


34  Maya 

maiden  who  had  first  entered  the  cavern, 
and  that  there  was  something  said  about 
a  coming  marriage  festival.  There  was 
much  laughter  in  their  girlish  prattle,  but 
he  observed  that  the  maiden  to  whom  they 
talked  listened  gravely  and  spoke  but  little. 

They  had  not  finished  their  repast  when 
one  of  them  produced  from  the  folds  of 
her  dress  a  trinket,  a  grotesque  figure 
curiously  moulded  in  clay,  which  she 
showed  to  the  tall  damsel  who  sat  in  their 
midst.  Another  maiden,  sitting  near,  tried 
to  seize  the  trinket,  and  the  first  sprang 
quickly  to  her  feet  and  shot  off  like  an 
arrow,  pursued  by  her  companion,  while 
the  rest  watched  them  with  much  laughter 
and  many  exclamations. 

They  flew  around  the  margin  of  the  pool 
and  were  coming  dangerously  near  the 
place  where  Sandoval  was  hidden.  The 
second  girl  rapidly  overtook  the  fugitive, 
who  at  last  plunged  into  the  water  to  save 
her  treasure.  From  this  point  she  per 
ceived,  just  in  front  of  her,  the  bearded 
face  of  the  stranger. 

"A  god!  Some  dreadful  god!"  she 
screamed,  and  recoiling  in  terror,  she 
climbed  back  to  the  rocks,  and  ran  head- 


The  Water  Carriers 


35 


long  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave  ;  then 
seizing  one  of  the  lighted  fagots  left  there 
when  the  maidens  entered  the  arched 
chamber,  she  vanished.  The  others  were 
close  upon  her  heels,  and  soon  the  great 
dome  was  empty.  All  had  disappeared. 

No,  not  all  —  Sandoval  perceived  that  one 
had  remained  ;  the  tall  maiden,  the  mis 
tress  of  the  band,  had  risen  to  her  feet  and 
was  looking  quietly  and  gravely  toward 
the  corner  of  the  cavern  from  which  had 
come  the  startling  apparition. 

To  thee,  O  reader,  who  hast  been  trained 
in  the  worship  of  a  God  of  love,  the  cry 
of  terror  at  the  sight  of  a  deity  may  seem 
strange  and  unnatural.  But  many  of  the 
Maya  gods  were  of  a  sterner  race  ;  they 
were  solemn  avengers  —  pitiless  tyrants  ; 
they  thirsted  for  man's  blood  — they  were 
hungry  for  human  flesh  ;  they  inflicted 
all  the  sufferings  of  earth — they  presided 
over  the  torments  of  hell.  To  confront 
their  superhuman  power  needed  more 
courage  than  to  meet  the  foe  in  battle. 

Yet  the  Maya  girl  was  undaunted.  Why 
should  she  fear  the  gods  ?  She  had  not 
harmed  them.  She  had  laid  constantly 
upon  their  altars  her  offerings  of  fruits  and 


36  Maya 

flowers.  Nay,  why  should  she  fear  any 
thing  ?  For  she  was  the  daughter  of  the 
king.  So  she  waited  until  the  strange  god 
should  appear. 

Concealment  was  no  longer  possible. 
Sandoval  came  out  from  his  hiding-place. 
He  swam  across  the  pool,  and  emerged 
partially  from  the  water  in  front  of  the 
maiden,  holding  out  his  hand  in  suppli 
cation. 

"Come  forth,"  she  said,  and  he  rose 
and  stood  before  her. 

Reader,  I  blush  to  tell  thee  how  he  looked. 
For  he  was  quite  devoid  of  those  ornaments 
with  which  young  men  are  wont  to  bedeck 
themselves  when  they  first  appear  before 
ladies  of  beauty  and  rank.  He  had  naturally 
made  no  preparation  for  this  unexpected 
meeting.  He  had  not  even  a  girdle  of  leaves, 
and  he  could  not,  like  Ulysses,  snatch  a 
bough  from  some  tree  near  by  ere  he  should 
supplicate  his  Nausicaa,  for  there  was  no 
tree  at  hand.  He  could  show  his  modesty 
by  nothing  but  a  blush,  and  to  the  credit 
of  his  Christian  breeding  be  it  said,  that 
among  the  mingled  emotions  that  possessed 
him,  shame  was  uppermost,  and  he  blushed 
to  the  roots  of  his  hair. 


The  Water  Carriers         37 

His  unclad  condition  was  not,  however, 
in  the  maiden's  thought.  To  those  who 
live  where,  with  the  men  at  least,  clothing 
is  rather  an  ornament  than  a  necessity,  it 
is  not  to  be  expected  that  its  absence  should 
call  for  special  observation. 

But  he  who  stood  before  her  was  indeed 
a  strange  being,  such  as  she  had  never  seen. 
His  fair  hair,  waving  above  a  broad  fore 
head,  his  ruddy  face,  his  light  skin,  browned 
indeed  by  exposure  to  the  sun,  but  quite 
unlike  that  of  her  own  people,  and  strangest 
of  all  his  full  curling  beard  and  his  blue  eyes 
—  all  these  things  made  him  appear  to  her 
as  no  mere  man,  but  as  a  being  of  quite 
another  kind.  Perhaps  the  blush  which 
overspread  his  countenance  was  a  mark 
of  his  anger  that  she  had  dared  thus  to 
confront  a  deity. 

But  if  he  was  a  god,  where  was  the 
plumage  which  the  gods  always  wore  ? 
What  was  the  meaning  of  the  unhealed 
wounds,  of  marks  that  looked  like  the 
scars  of  a  lash,  why  the  traces  of  the 
thorns  and  insects  which  had  tormented 
him  ?  Could  the  gods  be  thus  defiled  ? 
A  bow  he  had  indeed  —  this  he  had  kept 
constantly  slung  over  his  shoulder  with  a 


38  Maya 

few  arrows,  for  it  was  his  one  means  of 
procuring  food  during  his  sojourn  in  the 
wilderness  —  but  such  a  bow  !  It  was 
merely  a  rough  sapling  fastened  by  long 
tendrils.  Her  own  maidens  could  make 
a  better  one.  Would  a  god  hunt  with  such 
an  implement  ? 


CHAPTER    VII 


THE    FIRST    ENCOUNTER 

WHILE  the  heart  of  the  girl  was  filled 
with  wonder  at  the  form  and  face 
of  him  who  stood  before  her,  the  eyes  of 
the  wanderer  rested  upon  a  vision  which 
was  never  to  pass  away  from  the  recollec 
tions  of  his  life.  Her  long  black  tresses 
were  bound  around  a  shapely  head  and 
combed  over  a  brow,  not  broad  indeed, 
but  high  and  thoughtful.  Of  her  face  all 
that  he  saw  were  two  great  luminous  eyes, 
"dark  as  the  night,  yet  shining  like  the 
stars,"  which  gazed  on  him  with  calm, 
unconscious  fearlessness.  She  was  tall  in 
deed  when  gauged  by  the  standard  of  her 
people,  yet  only  of  middle  stature  if  meas 
ured  by  our  own.  Her  complexion,  though 
darker  than  that  of  the  Caucasian,  was 
very  light  when  compared  with  the 

39 


40  Maya 

swarthy  colour  of  the  men  of  her  race. 
Her  form  was  slender,  of  perfect  grace 
and  symmetry,  and  in  the  loose  garments 
which  hung  about  her  in  full  folds  she 
would  have  been  no  unworthy  model  for 
a  sculptor's  chisel.  Her  skirt,  folded 
around  her  waist,  fell  to  her  ankles.  At 
the  lower  edge  it  was  delicately  embroid 
ered  in  small  geometric  forms,  while  a 
short  tunic,  falling  to  her  knees,  was  deco 
rated  in  the  same  manner,  both  around  the 
bottom  and  about  her  neck  and  arms, 
which  were  left  bare.  Over  her  shoul 
ders  hung  a  mantle  of  many  colours, 
which  served  as  a  light  shawl  in  the  day 
time  and  as  a  covering  while  she  slept  at 
night.  There  were  bracelets  of  gold  upon 
her  wrists  and  ankles,  and  around  her 
throat  a  necklace  studded  with  opals,  whose 
changing  hues  glowed  like  the  clouds  of 
sunset.  Sandals  of  deerskin  wrought  with 
iridescent  feather-work  covered  her  tiny 
feet. 

Sandoval  did  not  of  course  examine  these 
details  with  critical  eye ;  he  only  saw  the  rich 
beauty  of  the  girl  and  of  her  garments  and 
her  stately  presence,  for  she  stood  be 
fore  him,  one  foot  slightly  advanced,  not 


The  First  Encounter         41 

haughty  but  erect,  looking  in  her  virgin 
majesty  the  queen  she  was,  but  still  a 
queen  unconscious  of  her  royalty. 

Meanwhile  she  gazed  upon  the  wan 
derer,  not  quite  able  to  guess  from  his 
strange  appearance  whether  he  were  god., 
man,  or  devil.  In  her  doubt  she  chose  the 
plainest  and  directest  way  to  knowledge, 
—  she  asked  him. 

"  Art  thou  the  god  of  this  senote  or  of 
the  stream  that  feeds  it  ?  Who  art  thou  ?" 

The  answer  came  in  choking  accents,  so 
broken  that  she  could  hardly  understand 
them : 

"  No  god  —  only  a  man  —  poor,  hungry, 
with  no  friends — a  stranger.  Pity  me  !  " 

And  he  sank  upon  his  knees,  and  pick 
ing  from  the  ground  a  morsel  of  earth,  he 
brought  it  to  his  heart  in  token  of  sub 
mission,  after  the  manner  of  the  men  of  her 
own  race. 

Then  a  change  came  slowly  over  her 
countenance.  The  look  of  dignity  with 
which  she  had  dared  to  meet  even  the 
frown  of  a  deity  was  gone,  and  in  its 
place  a  smile  of  compassion  stole  over 
her  features. 

Bending,  she  raised  our  hero  from  the 


42  Maya 

ground,  led  him  to  a  low  ledge  of  rock 
and  bade  him  sit,  while  (since  real  pity  is 
always   practical)    she  gathered   the   rem 
nants   of    the  breakfast   which   had   been 
left  by  her  companions  in  their  flight  and 
set  them  on  the  rock  beside  him.      And 
she   did  all  this    (strange    conquest  of  a 
passion   that   wells   unquenchably  in   wo 
man's  breast)  without  asking  him  a  single 
question  !      But   when   he   had  eaten   the 
/    repast  she  sat    beside    him,  and   looking 
S   full  into  his  face  (for  she  was  unlike  the 
\  maidens  of  her  race  who  cast  their  eyes 
I  upon    the    ground  when    they  address   a 
granger),  she  asked  : 

"  Of  what  country  art  thou  ?    Why  hast 

thou  come  to  a  land  where  thou  hast  no 

friends  ?    What  has  befallen  thee  ?  " 

/      "My    country,"   he  answered,    "is  far 

(  across  the  sea  where  the  sun  rises.    I  came 

I  with  many  comrades  in  a  boat  with  wings 

\  borne  by  the  wind.     For  three  moons  we 

\  journeyed,  till  we  reached  an  island  where 

there  are  towns  built  by  my  people.     Here 

we  tarried  for  a  time,  and  then  set  forth 

again  sailing  toward  the  noonday  over  the 

bright  waters,  until  we  came  to  a  new  land 

where  there  was  much  toil  and  suffering. 


The  First  Encounter         43 

At  last  our  chief  sent  me  with  others  back 
to  the  island  to  bring  him  succour,  but  on 
the  way  a  cruel  storm  drove  us  upon  your 
shores.  Five  of  my  companions  were  sac 
rificed,  the  rest  fled.  We  were  seized 
again  and  held  in  hard  captivity.  Others 
perished,  but  I  escaped  and  wandered 
through  the  forest.  Thirsting  unto  death,  I 
climbed  down  to  this  cave.  There  are  the 
broken  vines  by  which  I  reached  it.  Thou 
knowest  the  rest  ;  behold  me  here,  thy 
slave."  And  he  sank  to  the  ground  and 
kissed  the  hem  of  her  garment. 

"I  will  help  thee,"  she  said  in  a  quiet 
voice.  "Come  with  me." 

And  taking  his  hand  she  led  him  forth 
through  the  narrow  entrance.  The  torches 
had  been  carried  off  by  the  maidens  in  their 
flight  so  the  two  groped  their  way  together 
through  the  darkness.  She  knew  the  path, 
but  they  crept  cautiously,  for  there  were 
sharp  precipices  and  deep  gulfs  and  rocky 
steps,  and  at  one  place  they  crossed  a  bridge 
of  logs  over  a  narrow  gorge.  At  last  a 
faint  line  of  light  greeted  their  eyes  and 
they  came  forth  into  a  broad  chamber  with 
a  low  doorway  leading  to  the  upper  world. 

At  the  side  of  this  entrance  there  was  a 


44 


Maya 


deep  recess  where  one  might  well  be  hidden 
from  observation. 

"Rest  here,"  she  said,  and  taking  the 
mantle  from  her  shoulders  she  wrapped  it 
around  him  ;  then  adding,  "I  will  soon 
come  back  to  thee,"  she  disappeared 
through  the  thick  palmettos  and  lofty  cacti 
which  bordered  the  winding  path  outside 
the  entrance  of  the  cave. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MEDITATION 

THE  grove  through  which  she  returned 
to  the  king's  palace  lay  in  a  valley 
between  two  low  ranges  of  hills.  The 
rainy  season  was  just  over  and  the  foliage 
was  still  green  ;  above  the  dense  growth 
of  copse  and  thicket  arose  multitudes  of 
graceful  palms  ;  the  majestic  ceiba,  with 
its  huge  trunk  covered  with  bark  like  an 
elephant's  skin,  spread  its  innumerable 
branches  high  and  wide,  while  great  num 
bers  of  air-plants,  countless  wild  flowers,  a 
labyrinth  of  interlacing  vines,  great  cacti 
of  many  varieties  and  vast  dimensions 
—  some  taller  than  the  trees  themselves  — 
added  to  the  confusion  and  oppressive 
luxuriance  of  the  jungle. 

The  princess  walked  slowly  along  the 
winding  path,  deeply  absorbed  in  thought. 
She  had  promised  to  succour  the  stranger 

45 


46  Maya 

and  this  she  would  do  at  whatever  sacrifice. 
But  how  ?  She  might  keep  him  for  a  time 
in  the  depths  of  the  senote,  but  he  could 
not  stay  there  forever.  If  she  went  to  him 
alone  her  absence  would  be  noted  and  must 
be  explained.  Besides,  how  could  the 
king's  daughter  bear. food  to  him  with  her 
own  hands  ?  And  what  servant  or  com 
panion  could  she  trust  with  her  secret  ? 
But  if  he  came  forth  from  the  cavern  and 
the  men  of  the  city  should  find  him,  his  fate 
would  be  certain  death  ;  for  the  king,  her 
father,  was  diligent  and  punctual  in  fulfilling 
his  obligations  to  the  gods.  She  shuddered 
with  fear  at  the  thought  of  such  a  doom. 

What  then  was  there  in  this  poor  wan 
derer  that  should  fill  her  heart  with  painful 
apprehensions  ?  What  was  it  that  brought 
to  her  mind  as  never  before  the  horrors  of 
human  sacrifice,  with  the  blue  eyes  of  one 
victim  looking  helplessly  to  her  for  succour? 
What  magic  was  it  which  poured  into  an 
ear  that  had  never  hearkened  to  suggestions 
of  craft  or  cunning,  the  poisoned  counsel  to 
save  him  even  by  deceit  ?  Nay,  she  did  not 
harbour  a  doubt  whether  the  end  would 
justify  the  means,  but  forthwith  devised  a 
most  Jesuitical  plan  for  his  salvation. 


Meditation  47 

The  fact  that  the  stranger  had  been  taken 
for  a  god  gave  her  the  clew.  She  would 
keep  him  in  the  cave  till  he  was  sound  and 
strong,  bringing  to  him  all  he  might  need 
in  order  to  come  before  her  people  in  the 
likeness  of  a  god.  Then  he  should  seek 
her  hand  in  marriage,  and  she  would  be  the 
bride  of  the  new  deity.  After  that  what 
harm  could  befall  him  ? 

Yet  what  of  Canek,  the  lord  of  Peten- 
Itza  ?  What  of  that  powerful  alliance  be 
tween  the  tribes  —  her  father's  cherished 
hope  ?  She  put  the  thought  from  her,  yet 
it  returned  with  steady  persistence. 


CHAPTER  IX 

HISTORY 

WE  must  now  go  back  a  little  in  our 
story  to  the  early  life  of  the  princess 
and  the  history  of  her  people. 

The  traditions  of  Yucatan  tell  us  of  vari 
ous  migrations  into  the  peninsula.  The 
first  of  these — Genial  or  "  the  little  descent " 
they  called  it — was  from  the  east  across  the 
water,  perhaps  from  Cuba  or  some  neigh 
bouring  island,  and  the  legend  is  that  as  the 
people  came,  their  god  opened  for  them 
twelve  pathways  through  the  sea.  A  long 
time  afterwards  there  followed  another  mi 
gration  from  the  south-west  ;  Nohenial, 
''the  great  descent,"  it  was  called. 

The  first  hero-king  wasZamna,  the  civil- 

iser,  high-priest,  and  lawgiver,  who  brought 

in  the  hieratic  writing  and  taught  the  people 

the  art  of  medicine.     Like  Adam  he  gave 

48 


\ 
History  49 

names  to  the  things  around  him  —  not  in 
deed  to  beasts  and  birds,  but  to  the  bays, 
the  straits,  the  capes,  the  senotes,  and  the 
towns.  He  was  the  leader  of  the  Itzas  and 
he  laid  the  foundations  of  Itzamal,  where 
even  to-day  his  colossal  face  may  be  seen 
moulded  in  stucco  at  the  side  of  a  lofty 
pyramid.  He  also  established  the  city  of 
Chichen-Itza.  The  religion  he  taught  was 
simple  an_d^ gracious.  The  sun  and  stars 
were  objects  of  adoration  and  human  sac 
rifices  were  unknown.  _After  he  died  he 
was  worshipped  as  a  deitv  —  like  great  men 
everywhere  among  rude  peoples. 

Long  afterwards  there  came  from  the 
west  another  hero,  Kukulcan,  "  the  feath 
ered  serpent."  He  came  bare-headed  with 
nineteen  bearded  followers,  and  led  a  life  of 
marvellous  purity.  First  he  ruled  over 
Chichen-Itza  till  the  nobles  called  him  to 
the  throne  of  the  kingdom  and  invited 
him  to  Mayapan,*  "the  Maya  Banner," 
which  now  became  the  capital  of  the  land. 
Kukulcan  moved  thither  and  reigned  pros 
perously  for  ten  years,  at  the  end  of  which 

*  A  city  so  called  from  the  national  standard  of  richly 
wrought  feather-work  which  was  kept  there,  the  city  thus 
becoming  the  rallying  point  of  the  entire  confederacy. 


5O  Maya 

he  gave  up  the  crown  and  taking  the  road 
to  the  coast,  followed  by  a  few  disciples, 
he  embarked  and  nothing  more  wjas  ever 
heard  of  him.  Then  he  too  took  his  place 
among  the  gods. 

These  were  the  heroic  days  of  the  race, 
so  far  back  among  the  mists  of  time  that 
no  man  can  say  how  much  of  the  legend  is 
historic  and  how  much  is  mythological. 

The  people  chose  his  successor  from  the 
family  of  the  Cocomes,  great  lords  of  Yu 
catan,  who  thus  established  an  illustrious 
dynasty.* 

A  native  document,  thought  to  be  reli 
able,  tells  us  that  in  one  of  the  earlier 
centuries  of  the  Christian  era  there  was 
still  another  migration  from  the  south,  led 
by  the  Tutul  Xius,  a  race  of  warlike  kings 
who,  after  many  wanderings,  established 
their  capital  not  far  from  Mayapan  and 

*  The  seven  sovereigns  who  successively  reigned  after 
him  continued  to  give  the  country  an  excellent  govern 
ment,  and  tradition  tells  of  the  blessings  which  they 
conferred  upon  their  subjects  and  the  monuments  which 
they  built  —  the  fountains,  reservoirs,  baths,  roads, 
palaces,  temples,  schools,  hospitals  for  the  old  and  in 
firm,  retreats  for  widows  and  orphans,  halting  places 
for  travellers  —  such  were  the  titles  of  the  Cocomes  to 
public  gratitude. 


History  51 

near  the  southern  slope  of  a  low  sierra, 
that  stretched  across  the  peninsula  from 
east  to  west.  This  city  they  called  Uxmal, 
and  they  embellished  it  with  stately  palaces 
and  temples. 

For  a  long  time  there  was  a  triple  con 
federacy  among  the  lords  of  Mayapan, 
Uxmal,  and  Chichen-Itza,  in  which  the 
leadership  was  accorded  to  Mayapan.  But 
at  last  the  Cocome  kings  became  proud 
and  oppressive*;  serious  dissensions  arose 

*  First  of  the  tyrants  was  Ahtubtun,  "  spitter  of 
precious  stones,"  who  wrung  harsh  tribute  from  the 
people  and  squandered  it  in  luxuries  and  in  gifts  to 
favourites.  Then  followed  Aban,  who  added  to  his 
name  the  august  title  of  Kinehahau,  "  Child  of  the 
Sun."  Aban  moved  with  his  court  to  Kimpech  (now 
Campeche)  upon  the  seaboard,  and  put  himself  in  com 
munication  with  the  princes  of  Xicalanca,  in  Mexico, 
asking  them  to  furnish  him  with  armed  troops,  so  that 
he  could  silence  the  murmurs  of  his  people.  They  made 
haste  to  serve  the  Ahtepal  (or  king)  by  sending  him 
several  "  Xiquipils  "  or  legions,  each  of  eight  thousand 
men,  well  armed  and  disciplined.  These  men  belonged 
to  the  Nahuatl  race,  who  were  accustomed  to  human 
sacrifices,  and  their  abominable  rites  soon  spread 
through  the  peninsula. 

The  1  iii[^  nnjjnjli  illuHinj  THfrklMCJu^  rajik  and 
puTuslied^triers  by  reducing  them  to  slavery/~~This  was 
the  first  time  that  a  Maya  prince  had  dared  to  strike  at 
the  liberty  of  his  subjects,  who  had  never  known  slavery 


52  Maya 

within  the  capital,  and  the  lords  of  Uxmal 
now  saw  that  the  moment  had  come  to 

before,  and  who  considered  it  more  dreadful  than  death. 
The  people  lost  their  affection  for  the  Cocomes  and 
turned  their  eyes  upon  the  neighbouring  Tutul  Xius. 
These  princes  had  always  been  mindful  of  the  welfare 
of  their  subjects,  and  they  now  won  the  love  of  the 
people  of  Mayapan,  for  when  Aban,  with  his  foreign 
troops,  had  begun  to  reduce  his  vassals  to  slavery,  the 
kings  of  Chichen  and  Uxmal  remonstrated  and  prevented 
the  Ahtepal  from  pursuing  upon  their  own  domains  the 
Mayas  who  had  there  sought  a  refuge  against  his 
tyranny. 

At  last  Aban  died,  but  the  complaints  were  renewed 
against  his  successor,  Hunac  Ceel,  who  fell  into  the 
same  excesses.  He  brought  in  new  troops  from  Xica- 
lanca  ;  he  punished  with  rigour  all  whom  he  suspected 
of  complaining,  and  he  gave  his  subjects  no  other  choice 
than  revolt  or  abject  servitude. 

He  convoked  an  assembly  of  the  higher  vassals  of  the 
crown,  and  obtained  from  this  tribunal  a  decree  for  the 
deposition  of  the  lord  of  Chichen-Itza,  a  thing  unheard 
of  up  to  that  time. 

Ulmil,  the  successor  of  the  deposed  prince,  resolved 
upon  vengeance,  and  Hunac  Ceel  at  last  gave  him  his 
opportunity.  He  loaded  his  subjects  with  new  taxes; 
the  foreign  soldiers  became  the  masters  of  the  country; 
the  Maya  lords  were  excluded  from  all  places  and  thought 
themselves  happy  if  they  did  not  fall  victims  to  the  plots 
of  the  tyrant.  At  last  they  sought  the  aid  of  the  kings 
of  Chichen-Itza  and  Uxmal,  imploring  deliverance,  and 
the  dynasty  of  the  Cocomes  was  overthrown. 


History  53 

seize  the  sceptre  of  the  kingdom.  After  a 
bloody  battle  Mayapan  was  taken,  the  king 
and  the  royal  household  were  put  to  death, 
and  a  Tutul  Xiu  was,  by  the  choice  of  the 
nobility,  confirmed  in  the  title  of  supreme 
monarch.* 

During  a  long  period  which  followed,  he 
and  his  successors  dwelt  in  Uxmal  in  more 
than  regal  state.  But  after  an  era  of  pros 
perity,  a  usurper,  Ahcunal,  obtained  pos- 

*  The  monarch  of  Uxmal  now  devoted  himself  to  up 
rooting  the  abuses  of  the  last  Cocomes  ;  he  restored  the 
exiles  to  their  homes  ;  he  set  free  the  greater  part  of 
those  who  had  been  reduced  to  bondage  ;  he  attempted 
to  abolish  slavery  altogether,  but  it  had  taken  such  root 
in  the  land  that  his  efforts  were  ineffectual  ;  he  protected 
the  foreign  mercenaries  who  had  escaped  the  massacre  of 
Mayapan,  and  assigned  to  them  a  province  south  of  the 
mountains  of  Mani.  These  generous  acts  strengthened 
the  throne  of  Uxmal. 

But  among  the  children  of  the  last  of  the  Cocomes 
there  was  one  who  by  his  absence  from  the  city  had 
escaped  the  massacre.  The  new  king  ("  The  Face  of 
Fire  "  as  he  was  called)  was  too  magnanimous  to  visit 
upon  this  prince  the  crimes  of  his  ancestors.  He  not 
only  suffered  him  to  live,  he  also  gave  him  as  an  appan 
age  the  province  of  Zotuta.  But  in  thus  perpetuating 
the  family  of  the  Cocomes,  the  Tutul  Xius  nourished  in 
the  heart  of  their  kingdom  the  hatred  of  a  fallen  race, 
and  the  lords  of  Zotuta  afterwards  became  the  mortal 
enemies  of  the  dynasty. 


54  Maya 

session  of  the  throne.  Great  disorders 
followed,  and  when  he  was  overthrown 
and  the  Tutul  Xius  were  again  restored  to 
power,  the  people  of  the  city  determined 
to  abandon  their  own  capital  and  to  betake 
themselves  to  Mayapan.  They  accordingly 
migrated  thither,  and  the  monarchs  reigned 
for  a  time  in  great  splendour  at  the  ancient 
capital. 

But  it  was  not  long  until  various  factions 
again  began  to  contend  furiously  with  one 
another.  Ah  Xiu,  the  reigning  sovereign 
(grandfather  of  the  king  who  dwelt  in 
Mani  at  the  time  of  our  story),  became  the 
victim  of  a  plot  among  his  vassal  lords. 
He  was  driven  from  Mayapan  and  pursued 
from  one  province  to  another;  the  rebel 
chiefs  gave  to  the  flames  the  great  city 
which  had  been  the  centre  of  his  dominion 
and  the  scene  of  their  own  vassalage,  and 
the  kingdom  was  divided  into  little  princi 
palities  whose  mutual  hates  and  jealousies 
accomplished  the  ruin  of  the  Maya  race. 

The  downfall  of  the  kingdom  took  place 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century. 
It  was  followed  by  a  series  of  disasters.  One 
winter  night  there  was  a  terrible  hurricane 
which  swept  away  the  forests  and  fHe 


History  55 

crops  and  killed  great  multitudes  of  human 
beings.  Then,  after  fifteen  prosperous 
years,  there  was  a  pestilence,  the  Ocna 
Kuchil  or  "  Sudde~rT~Death,"  so  dreadful 
that  birds  of  prey  came  into  the  houses 
and  devoured  the  corpses  which  lay  un- 
buried.  Then  there  were  sixteen  years  of 
waj^among  the  tribes,  and  it  is  said  that  in 
one  great  battle  between  the  contending 
factions  there  perished  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men. 

In  one  of  the  provinces,  however,  a  new 
city  had  been  built  by  those  who  remained 
faithfuLto-4he-k4ng.  They  named  it  Mani, 
' ' '  It  is  past, "  for  the  old  empire  had  departed 
and  the  threads  of  life  had  to  be  taken  up 
anew.  Here  a  palace  and  temple  had  been 
erected  for  the,_exi]ed[  sovereign  and  a  faint 
echo  of  the  solemn  worship  and  imperial 
magnificence  of  Uxmal  and  Mayapan  was 
still  preserved.  The  successor  of  Ah  Xiu 
reigned  over  Mani  for  more  than  forty  years, 
and  now  Ahpula,  his  only  male  descendant, 
had  been  for  ten  years  upon  the  throne. 

Ahpula  had  no  son  to  be  the  heir  of  the 
kingdom.  One  boy  had  been  born  to  him, 
but  the  child  had  not  outlived  his  nursing, 
and  although  the  king  had  made  many  sac- 


56  Maya 

rifices  and  prayers  to  Ixchel,  yet  his  daughter 
Maya  was  now  the  only  living  offspring 
of  his  union  with  the  wisest  and  best  of 
queens.  Often  indeed  Ahpula  had  been 
urged  to  put  away  a  consort  so  unfruitful, 
but  he  would  not  part  from  her,  for  she  had 
been  the  love  of  his  youth.  Should  Maya 
have  a  son,  however,  that  son  might  inherit 
the  throne.  Hence  came  the  offer  of  Canek, 
the  lord  of  Peten-Itza,  who  ruled  in  the  island 
city  of  Tayasal.*  He  was  a  prince,  crafty 

*  The  story  of  the  origin  of  this  city  is  lit  by  the  flame 
of  romance.  Another  Canek,  first  of  the  name,  had 
been  one  of  the  lords  of  Chichen-Itza.  He  was  enamoured 
of  a  noble  maiden,  Lila,  uthe  dewdrop,"  and  she  re 
turned  his  love,  but  her  hand  had  been  promised  by  her 
father  to  Chanbel,  another  lord,  for  whom  she  cared  not, 
and  the  day  had  been  set  for  the  wedding.  The  evening 
before  the  festival,  when  Lila  was  walking  in  the  garden 
in  front  of  her  father's  palace,  and  bemoaning  the  fate 
which  was  to  part  her  from  the  man  she  loved,  suddenly, 
at  the  foot  of  the  terrace,  she  saw  the  face  of  Canek,  who 
came  forth  for  a  moment  from  the  thick  copse  to  tell  her 
that  on  the  morrow  he  would  come  and  save  her.  And 
sure  enough  in  the  midst  of  the  festival,  while  the  gar 
lands  were  twined  around  the  stone  pillars  of  the  temple 
and  music  resounded  and  the  tables  were  spread  for  the 
banquet,  a  great  cry  arose  and  Canek  and  his  warriors 
entered  and  seized  the  maiden  to  bear  her  away.  Great 
was  the  tumult,  for  Chanbel  and  his  friends  fought  des 
perately,  but  Canek  had  his  will  and  Lila  became  his 


History  53 

and  warlike,  who  had  often  led  wild  forays 
against  the  men  of  the  north  and  returned 
with  fat  spoils  from  many  a  battle.  Twice 
had  he  wedded,  but  each  time  his  wife  had 
died  without  offspring,  and  there  was  no 
heir  to  his  dominions.  Then  it  was  that  he 
sought  the  hand  of  the  daughter  of  the  Tutul 
Xius.  As  the  husband  of  Maya  he  would 
become  the  father  of  a  royal  line  as  well  as 
ruler  for  life  upon  the  death  of  the  present 
sovereign.  Such  a  prospect  made  it  well 
worth  his  while  to  acknowledge  Ahpula  as 
his  lord.  So  the  marriage  of  Maya  to  Canek 
was  deemed  by  all  except  the  princess  her 
self  a  most  desirable  event. 

But  the  choice  of  a  husband  which  the  king 
had  made  for  her  was  little  to  the  liking  of 
his  daughter.  The  lord  of  Peten-Itza,  it  was 
said,  was  old  and  ugly, and  among  the  peo 
ple  of  Mani,  with  whom  he  had  often  been  at 
war,  he  had  the  reputation  of  great  cruelty. 

"  How  much  better  would  it  be," 
thought  Maya,  "to  become  the  bride  of 
the  fair  stranger  !  " 

wife.  Then  Chanbel  collected  the  warriors  of  his  tribe 
and  there  was  a  long  strife  between  the  rivals  until  Canek 
retreated  and  journeyed  southward  till  he  came  to  a  great 
lake  and  established  Tayasal,  anew  city  on  the  island  of 
Peten-Itza,  where  he  dwelt  in  safety  with  his  bride. 


CHAPTER  X 

MAYA'S  SCHEME 

SINCE  the  royal  line  was  to  descend 
through  her,  Maya  had  been  taught 
many  things  which  were  commonly  with 
held  from  the  women  of  her  race.  More 
over  she  had  filled  the  office  of  "  Ixnacan 
Katun,"  or  chief  of  the  vestals  of  the  Sun, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  alive  the  sacred 
fire  in  the  temple  of  that  deity,  as  well  as 
to  take  part  in  other  religious  ceremonies — 
to  make  sacrifices  of  fruits  and  flowers  to 
Ixchel,  the  goddess  of  healing,  to  Ixche- 
belyax,  the  goddess  of  painting  and  em 
broidery,  and  even  to  the  great  Ixazalvoh, 
mother  of  the  gods,  who  had  taught 
womankind  the  art  of  weaving. 

This  sacred  sisterhood  had  been  estab 
lished  in  early  days  by  a  princess  of  Uxmal, 
and  no  one  who  was  not  of  royal  blood 
58 


Maya's  Scheme  59 

could  be  its  chief.  The  honour  was  a  very 
great  one,  and  the  rank  was  considered  equal 
to  the  higher  orders  of  priesthood.  Indeed 
Zahuy  Kak,  the  first  chief  of  the  vestals,  had 
become  so  eminent  for  her  virtues  that  after 
her  death  her  name  was  written  among 
those  of  the  gods. 

Maya  had  been  carefully  trained  for  her 
sacred  dignity  by  the  high-priest,  her  un 
cle,  and  she  had  been  taught  the  use  of  the 
hieratic  characters,  the  symbolic  writing  in 
troduced  by  Zamna,  in  which  were  written 
the  ancient  manuscripts  that  recorded  the 
history  of  her  race. 

The  princess  was  deeply  beloved,  not 
only  by  her  kindred  and  the  vestals  and 
maidens  of  her  train,  but  by  the  people  of 
Mani,  who  called  her  "  The  Morning  Sun 
beam,"  and  invoked  the  blessings  of  the 
gods  upon  her  beautiful  face  as  she  passed 
among  them.  For  she  resolutely  refused 
to  dwell  in  the  seclusion  of  the  palace,  and 
often  when  she  learned  of  sickness  or  sorrow 
in  the  city,  she  went  forth  with  her  maidens 
(despite  the  remonstrances  of  the  queen- 
mother  and  once  even  against  the  com 
mand  of  the  king  himself)  to  bring  to  the 
sufferers  what  relief  she  could,  together 


60  Maya 

with  words  of  kindness  such  as  might  have 
fallen  from  paradise.  Even  the  birds  in  the 
palace  gardens  seemed  to  love  her,  for  they 
fluttered  around  her  as  she  walked,  perch 
ing  upon  her  shoulders  while  they  were 
fed  from  her  hand. 

Such  was  the  girl  of  sixteen  summers 
whom  her  father  had  named  after  the  race 
which  his  ancestors  ruled  during  many  gen 
erations,  "for  in  her,"  he  said,  "is  the 
hope  of  my  people."  And  this  was  the 
maiden  who  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  was 
now  secretly  nursing  a  scheme  of  guile  so 
daring  that  it  might  well  wreck  the  future  of 
the  kingdom,  all  for  the  sake  of  one  forlorn 
wanderer  whom  she  pitied  —  and  loved. 

To  Maya's  eager  fancy,  the  plan  which 
she  had  devised  for  the  rescue  of  the  fair- 
haired  stranger  did  not  seem  difficult.  Hav 
ing  been  taught  the  history  and  mythology 
of  her  race,  she  knew  that  the  gods  had 
often  appeared  among  her  people.  The 
great  Zamna  had  given  them  their  laws  and 
taught  them  the  arts  of  medicine,  writing, 
and  astronomy.  Kukulkan  had  come 
among  them,  changing  his  serpent  form  to 
that  of  a  man,  while  he  reigned  over  them 
as  a  mighty  king.  Moreover,  had  not  the 


Maya's  Scheme  61 

books  of  Chilan-Balam,*  containing  the 
prophecies  of  their  greatest  seers,  already 
foretold  that  a  god  should  come  from  the 
East,  across  the  waters  ?  For  many  years 
they  had  been  waiting  for  him.  She  re 
membered  the  very  words  of  the  prophecy 
as  she  had  learned  them  by  heart. 

"The  signal  of  God  will  appear  on  the 
heights  and  the  cross  with  which  the  world 
was  enlightened  will  be  shown.  .  .  .  Re 
ceive  your  bearded  guests  from  the  East, 
who  bring  the  signal  of  the  God  that  comes 
to  us  in  mercy  and  pity." 

These  words  seemed  to  her  to  fit  the 
case.  It  is  true  she  could  produce  only 
one  bearded  stranger  from  the  East,  and 
that  one  was  to  be  the  god  himself,  yet  this 
was  near  enough.  When  men  are  looking 
for  the  accomplishment  of  a  prophecy  there 

*  Chilan-Balam  was  for  a  long  time  considered  to  be 
the  name  of  a  particular  prophet.  Dr.  Brinton  has 
shown,  however,  that  it  is  a  generic  name,  that  the  books 
of  Chilan-Balam  are  books  of  prophecy  containing  also 
dissertations  on  astrology,  chronology,  and  medicine. 
These  books  are  specially  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
the  village  or  city  in  which  they  were  composed.  The 
word  Chilan  in  the  Maya  tongue  means  mouth-piece, 
and  the  word  Balam,  originally  "  tiger,"  is  applied  to 
a  certain  class  of  priests. 


62  Maya 

is  no  need  of  a  very  literal  fulfilment  to  sat 
isfy  them.     The  god  was  here,  the  maiden 
who  had  seen  him  behind  the  rock  would 
know  him,  and  Maya  herself  would  bring 
him  forth  from  his  hiding-place. 
A      Thou  wilt  ask,  reader,  why  she  did  not 
/  -  fear  the  other  gods,  who,  knowing  the  de- 
/       ceit,  would   surely  avenge  their  outraged 
/      dignity  and  inflict  some  terrible  punishment 
,      on  the  maid  who  thus  imposed  a  counter- 
|     feit  upon  their  worshippers.    But  need  I  ex 
plain  to  one  who  knows  that  love  is  blind, 
that  she  fancied  they  would  look  with  pity 
on  such  a  charitable  fraud — nay  it  might  be 
they  would  not  even  learn  of  her  wicked 
ness  ?    The  gods  know  very  much  —  but 
surely  not  all  things — unless  men  tell  them  ! 
Besides,  she  was  the  king's  daughter  and 
what  would  they  do  to  her?   Moreover,  she 
held  forth  a  handful  of  maize  to  Zahuy  Kak 
"  The  Fire  Maiden  "  and  asked  whether  to 
save  a  life  she  might  not  tell  this  little  harm 
less  lie  ?  And  when  she  counted  the  grains 
of  maize  lo,  the  number  was  even  !      The 
goddess  had  consented  !     She  was  safe  ! 
So  she  dreamed,  poor  child,  and  foresaw 
not  the  dark  plots  that  gods  and  men  would 
soon  be  weaving  for  her  ruin. 


CHAPTER   XI 


MAYA   AND    HER   MAIDENS 

WHEN  we  last  saw  our  heroine  she 
was  still  upon  the  pathway  be 
tween  the  senote  and  the  king's  palace. 
She  now  entered  the  enclosure  of  the  royal 
gardens  which  were  on  the  slope  of  a  hill 
at  some  distance  from  the  town.  There 
were  birds  of  brilliant  plumage  in  the  trees, 
and  deer  sprang  up  at  her  approach  and 
gathered  about  her,  seeking  food  at  her 
hands. 

In  the  midst  of  the  garden  was  an  arti 
ficial  lake  or  aguada,  paved  with  stones  se 
curely  cemented  at  the  bottom  and  filled 
during  the  rainy  season  by  means  of  sluices 
dug  around  the  sides  of  the  hill.  This 
reservoir  supplied  the  animals  on  the  royal 
domain  and  provided  irrigation  during  the 
time  of  drouth.  Its  water  was  unwhole- 

63 


64  Maya 

some  and  unfit  to  drink,  however,  and 
hence  the  senote  from  which  Maya  had 
just  come  had  been  set  apart  for  the  use 
of  the  king's  household.  It  was  to  fetch 
the  day's  supply  that  the  maidens  (who, 
although  of  noble  blood,  were  proud  to  call 
themselves  servants  of  the  king's  daughter) 
had  gone  forth  in  the  morning  with  their 
jars.  In  terror  and  amazement  they  had 
returned  and  were  waiting  in  trembling 
anxiety  near  the  aguada.  They  dared  not 
enter  the  palace  with  the  news  that  they 
had  fled  and  left  their  mistress  in  the  cave 
alone,  and  it  was  with  unspeakable  delight 
that  they  saw  her  emerging  from  the  wood. 

"  Thanks  be  to  Ixchel,  thou  art  safe  and 
well.  How  didst  thou  escape  ?  " 

"Was  he  indeed  a  god?  Didst  thou 
speak  with  him  ?  " 

"  Did  he  harm  thee  ?  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "he  is  a  god,  and 
though  he  harmed  me  not,  it  was  well  that 
you  fled,  for  you  are  so  timid  that  his  look 
might  have  stricken  you  with  blindness. 
But  he  promised  me  that  if  I  would  come 
again  to  worship  him  he  would  grant  us 
many  blessings  —  plentiful  rain,  crops, 
bees,  and  game,  nay,  children  too,  when 


Maya  and  her  Maidens     65 

husbands  claim  our  hands.  He  was  the  fairest 
of  the  gods,  and  kind  and  gentle.  And  when 
I  said  that  I  would  come  to  him  again  with 
flowers  and  birds  for  sacrifice,  he  smiled 
on  me,  and  then  before  my  eyes  he  rose 
from  the  deep  pool  and  floated  away  in  the 
thin  air  through  the  cave's  mouth  up  to  the 
clouds  of  heaven.  When  next  I  meet  him 
you  must  go  with  me  and  we  will  bring 
him  all  a  god  may  need  —  food  and  flow 
ers  and  bright  raiment.  But  you  must  stay 
outside  the  cavern  and  I  must  meet  him 
always  alone,  until  he  shall  bid  me  bring 
you.  Tell  no  one  what  you  have  seen,  for 
bitter  will  be  your  punishment  should  my 
father  know  that  you  forsook  me." 

So  she  spoke,  and  they  willingly  con 
sented,  for  they  loved  her  —  and  they 
feared  the  punishment. 

Then  Maya  bade  them  return  with  her  at 
once  to  the  senote  for  the  water  jars  which 
they  had  left  in  their  flight.  Since  she  had 
assured  them  that  the  god  was  no  longer 
there,  they  ventured  to  enter  the  cavern, 
though  they  besought  her  to  stay  close  be 
side  them  for  their  fear  was  very  great. 

Reaching  the  pool,  they  refilled  the  ves 
sels  with  fresh  water. 


66  Maya 

When  they  had  come  forth  once  more 
into  the  grove,  they  observed  that  their 
mistress  remained  behind,  so  they  set  down 
their  jars  and  waited  for  her. 

It  was  some  time  before  she  appeared. 
She  had  paused  at  the  entrance  of  the  cave 
to  speak  again  to  the  stranger  and  tell  him 
of  her  plan.  She  found  him  hidden  in  the 
dark  recess  where  she  had  left  him. 

"  My  maidens,"  she  said,  "took  thee  for 
a  god,  and  indeed  a  god  with  bright  locks 
and  blue  eyes  like  thine  has  long  been 
looked  for  by  my  people.  So  I  will  bring 
thee  fresh  apparel,  bright  plumes,  and 
broidered  robes.  My  maidens  shall  pre 
pare  them  for  thee,  for  they  are  skilled  in 
fashioning  garments.  They  will  not  betray 
thee,  for  they  fear  that  my  father  will  pun 
ish  them  for  leaving  me  by  the  pool  alone. 
Nor  do  they  know  thy  hiding-place.  I  told 
them  thou  hadst  risen  to  the  clouds  and 
wouldst  not  return  until  this  evening  when 
I  would  come  and  offer  thee  food  and  flow 
ers  for  sacrifice.  This  evening,  therefore, 
I  will  visit  thee  again  and  they  shall  stay 
outside,  and  I  will  bring  thee  cakes  and 
wine  and  deer's  meat.  And  when  thy 
wounds  are  healed  and  thou  art  fair  again, 


Maya  and  her  Maidens      67 

then  will  I  clothe  thee  in  a  beautiful  robe, 
and  lead  thee  to  the  palace  of  my  father 
(for  he  is  king  of  Mani)  and  thou  shalt  be 
our  god." 

So  she  told  him  all — all  but  one  thing, 
and  how  could  she  tell  him  that  ?  Surely 
he  ought  to  guess  it. 

Yet  he  spoke  not.  He  kneeled  and 
kissed  the  hem  of  her  robe  —  and  thus  she 
left  him. 

Why  had  he  not  spoken  ?  Did  he  love 
her  ?  She  had  seen  the  tears  in  his  implor 
ing  eyes  when  they  met  under  the  dome 
of  the  senote,  but  these  might  be  tears  of 
despair  and  suffering.  She  could  not  tell 
and  the  doubt  troubled  her.  So  her  brow 
was  clouded  and  her  face  was  sad  when 
she  rejoined  her  companions. 

Although  they  yearned  to  know  why 
she  had  lingered  behind,  yet  they  saw 
from  her  countenance  that  it  was  not  best 
to  ask,  and  they  walked  on  in  silence  to 
the  palace.  Here  they  found  that  there 
had  been  great  wonderment  at  their  long 
absence  and  that  some  were  about  to  go 
in  quest  of  them.  They  explained  their 
delay  by  saying  that  they  had  not  noticed, 
while  they  talked  together  in  the  depths 


68 


Maya 


of  the  senote,  how  high  the  sun  had  risen 
in  the  sky.  They  were  met  with  a  reproof 
by  the  queen-mother  at  the  foolishness  of 
girls  who  spent  the  hours  in  chatter  and 
idleness,  and  when  they  were  put  to 
their  daily  tasks  of  spinning,  weaving,  and 
embroidery  they  were  admonished  to  make 
up  for  lost  time  by  greater  diligence. 


CHAPTER  XII 

DREAMS  AND  DEVICES. 

THE  princess  attended  her  mother  alone 
to  the  queen's  chamber,  where  she 
was  told  that  on  the  night  before,  the  high- 
priest  had  gone  to  the  divining  house  on 
the  summit  of  the  teocallis  and  had  there 
counted  from  the  signs  of  heaven  the  day 
of  the  approaching  festival  to  Chaac,  the 
giant  god  of  the  cornfield,  and  to  Zamna, 
the  founder  of  the  race.  Upon  the  occasion 
of  this  festival,  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza  was 
to  come  and  claim  her  for  his  wife.  That 
was  still  three  months  away,  but  the  Maya 
month  was  only  twenty  days,  and  the 
time  was  short  enough  for  the  needful 
preparation.  The  queen  spoke  with  her 
daughter  of  the  wedding  —  of  the  new 
robes  and  jewels  and  the  damsels  who 
should  attend  the  bride  —  of  all  the  things 

69 


yo  Maya 

that  at  such  a  time  are  most  precious  to 
woman's  heart.  —  and  the  mother  noticed 
that  she  had  never  before  seen  her  child 
so  compliant.  Maya  appeared  to  have  few 
opinions  of  her  own  upon  these  weighty 
matters,  but  yielded  without  comment  to 
every  suggestion.  Often  indeed  her  mind 
seemed  far  away.  She  was  thinking  perhaps 
of  the  lord  to  whom  she  was  betrothed, 
and  of  the  new  power  and  splendour  which 
this  union  was  to  bring  to  her  father's 
house.  For  ever  since  her  childhood  she 
had  been  devoted  to  the  memory  of  the 
great  line  of  kings  from  whom  she  was 
descended.  How  small  was  her  father's 
dignity  to-day  beside  the  glory  of  the  past ! 
He  was  the  ruler  of  only  a  single  province, 
and  though  the  city  of  Mani  was  of  con 
siderable  size,  how  pitiful  it  seemed  by  the 
side  of  the  great  Mayapan,  and  how  small 
his  palace  of  a  score  of  chambers  when 
compared  with  the  stately  dwellings  of 
Uxmal !  There  a  whole  city  had  stood 
within  the  sacred  enclosure  in  the  midst  of 
the  larger  town  and  was  devoted  to  the 
service  of  the  king  and  his  vassal  lords  and 
priests  ! 
Mani  had  always  been  considered  little 


Dreams  and  Devices        71 

more  than  a  temporary  sojourn  for  the 
royal  exile.  But  Mayapan  was  wholly 
destroyed,  and  though  Uxmal,  the  earlier 
capital,  which  had  been  abandoned  long 
before,  was  still  in  a  tolerable  state  of 
preservation,  yet  there  were  few  who 
dwelt  there,  and  the  country  round  about 
had  become  a  wilderness. 

Many  there  were  who  thought,  however, 
that  when  the  kingdom  was  re-established 
the  people  should  betake  themselves  to 
Uxmal,  where  the  great  palaces  and  temples 
remained,  and,  restoring  these  edifices  to 
their  early  splendour,  rebuild  around  them 
the  city  which  had  fallen  into  decay. 

So  the  queen  -  mother,  after  she  had 
spoken  of  the  preparations  for  the  wed 
ding,  and  had  given  certain  instructions  to 
her  attendants,  fell  to  talking  with  her 
daughter  of  the  re-establishment  of  the 
empire.  If  Peten-Itza  joined  their  cause, 
the  other  chiefs  would  soon  be  brought 
into  subjection,  and  the  Tutal  Xius  would 
reign  again  in  all  their  ancient  power. 

She  was  surprised  that  her  daughter,  who 
had  always  shown  great  zeal  upon  this 
subject,  now  listened  without  a  word  and 
gave  not  even  an  answering  smile  while 


72  Maya 

the  mother  held  before  her  eyes  these 
dreams  of  glory. 

When  she  was  alone,  Maya  began  to 
realise  that  her  plan  would  be  harder  to 
accomplish  than  she  had  at  first  supposed. 
The  lord  of  Peten-Itza  would  soon  come, 
and  his  rage  and  disappointment  at  the  re 
jection  of  his  suit  would  surely  be  very  great. 
Her  father  was  a  reverent  worshipper  of 
the  gods,  but  could  she  persuade  him 
that  this  strange  being  was  indeed  a  deity 
for  whom  he  must  forsake  the  most 
cherished  project  of  his  life  ? 

Moreover,  the  stranger  had  not  asked  her 
to  become  his  bride — had  not  even  spoken 
to  her  of  love.  How  then  could  she  un 
fold  to  him  this  most  necessary  part  of  her 
plan  ?  For  she  well  knew  that  unless  he 
became  her  husband  he  could  not  long  keep 
his  position  as  a  deity.  He  knew  nothing 
of  the  supernatural  duties  that  would  be 
required  of  him.  She  must  be  his  spokes 
man  and  priestess,  and  he  would  be  safe 
only  while  she  was  at  his  side. 

She  would  tell  him  this  when  next  she 
saw  him.  Then  he  would  surely  under 
stand  and  ask  her  hand. 

That  evening  she  and  her  maidens  went 


Dreams  and  Devices        73 

again  to  the  senote,  for  she  had  craftily 
emptied  some  of  the  water  jars,  and  no  one 
could  understand  why  the  day's  supply 
had  fallen  so  short  of  the  day's  needs.  Yet 
more  water  was  necessary,  and  she  and 
her  maidens  offered  to  fetch  it. 

They  took  with  them  fruit  and  game  for 
a  repast,  and  gathered  flowers  upon  their 
way  to  the  cavern,  but  when  they  reached 
the  entrance,  Maya,  leaving  the  others  out 
side,  said  to  them  : 

"Rest  here  ;  I  will  bring  my  offerings  to 
the  god  alone,  and  when  he  has  departed  I 
will  come  back  to  you,  and  then  we  will 
go  together  and  fill  the  jars." 

So  she  entered  the  cave. 

"I  have  bi ought  thee  food,"  she  said, 
when  the  Spaniard  stood  before  her,  "and 
in  a  few  days  I  will  bring  thee  raiment,  and 
soon  thou  shalt  come  with  me  to  the  pal 
ace.  I  will  tell  thee  all  thou  must  do,  but 
be  sure  and  stay  always  at  my  side,  for  I 
must  speak  for  thee,  otherwise  they  will 
ask  thee  things  thou  canst  not  answer. 

"When  they  question  thee,  speak  al 
ways  to  me  in  thine  own  tongue,  for 
though  I  do  not  understand  it,  1  will  say 
that  it  is  the  language  of  the  gods,  which 


74  Maya 

thou  hast  taught  me,  and  I  will  interpret 
for  thee  in  such  a  way  that  all  shall  be  con 
tent.  I  will  be  thy  priestess  and  seer,  for  1 
am  skilled  in  the  learning  of  my  people  and 
know  all  the  secrets  of  our  religion.  It  will 
not  be  safe  for  thee  to  be  alone  ;  we  must 
always  be  together,  lest  they  discover  who 
thou  art." 

"Now,"  thought  the  maiden,  "he  will 
surely  speak." 

But  he  merely  answered,  "Whatever 
thou  bid'st  me  I  will  do"  ;  and  although 
they  talked  long  together  and  he  spoke 
much  of  gratitude,  he  uttered  not  one  word 
of  love;  so  with  a  heavy  heart  she  returned 
to  her  companions  and  they  all  went  to  the 
pool  and  filled  their  jars. 

And  why  indeed  had  he  not  spoken  ? 
Her  face  had  seemed  to  him  the  fairest  he 
had  ever  seen,  and  the  pity  in  her  great 
dark  eyes  had  filled  his  heart  with  unutter 
able  love.  But  had  she  not  told  him  she 
was  the  daughter  of  the  king  ?  How  should 
a  forlorn  wanderer  dare  aspire  to  such  a 
pinnacle  of  glory  ? 

Reader,  no  doubt  if  thou  or  1  were  in  his 
place  and  were  to  behold  such  eyes  and 
worship  them,  we  should  not  hesitate  to 


Dreams  and  Devices        75 

speak  ;  for  we  would  know  from  what  we 
have  seen  in  this  strange  world  that  the  as 
pirations  of  unspoken  love,  though  never 
safe,  are  never  hopeless  ;  that  none  may 
descend  to  the  lowliest  station  and  feel 
sure  that  his  passion  will  awaken  a  re 
sponsive  throb,  nor  need  he  deem  that  the 
loftiest  heights  are  inaccessible.  Be  she 
milkmaid  or  be  she  queen,  the  lover  cannot 
know  his  fate  until  her  lips  or  eyes  have 
spoken  it.  For  love  is  like  a  bird,  whose 
wings  will  dip  sometimes  into  the  lowliest 
valleys,  though  they  may  soar  unwavering 
to  the  sun. 

But  the  poor  exile  was  young  and  inex 
perienced.  He  did  not  understand  the 
caprices  of  the  goddess. 

Moreover,  Maya  had  told  him  that  she 
was  the  chief  of  a  sacred  sisterhood,  and 
though  she  seemed  very  young  to  be  an 
abbess,  yet  this  would  forever  bar  the  path 
way  to  love.  For  Sandoval  did  not  know 
that  by  the  Maya  laws  marriage  was  per 
mitted  to  the  sisters  of  the  temple. 

So  his  heart  was  filled  with  despair,  and 
he  was  silent. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

PREPARATIONS 

ON  their  way  homeward  Maya  told  her 
maidens  a  beautiful  fairy-story  of  the 
new  god,  weaving  together  fact  and  fancy 
in  a  strange  bright  chaos.  He  had  floated, 
she  said,  down  through  the  dome  of  the 
senote  and  had  walked  across  the  water  to 
meet  her  and  receive  her  offerings.  His 
name  indeed  was  one  she  had  never  heard 
before,  and  his  home  was  near  the  sunrise 
far  across  the  sea.  There  he  had  built 
great  palaces  of  clouds  and  had  reclined, 
when  he  was  weary,  within  their  shining 
chambers.  Then,  scattering  them  at  will, 
he  had  leaped  invisibly  to  earth  and  had 
walked  among  the  people  to  learn  of  their 
joys  and  sufferings  ;  he  had  sent  them  rain 
and  sunshine  according  to  their  needs  ;  he 
had  destroyed  the  wicked  and  brought 

76 


Preparations  77 

happiness  to  the  just  ;  he  had  laboured  long 
until  the  people  of  that  land  had  grown 
wise  and  merciful.  They  were  like  him, 
with  beards,  fair  skin,  blue  eyes,  and  wav 
ing  hair. 

Then,  when  the  land  smiled  with  happi 
ness  and  peace,  he  had  bethought  him  of 
other  regions  where  there  was  hunger  and 
suffering  and  where  the  tribes  strove  with 
one  another  in  battle.  So  he  had  resolved 
to  visit  these  strange  lands  and  bring  to 
them  also  joy  and  prosperity.  And  he  had 
made  a  great  canoe  with  wings,  that  sped 
across  the  waters,  and  had  guided  its  course 
over  the  bounding  waves.  Sometimes  he 
would  rise  to  heaven  like  a  gull,  but  he 
could  see  nothing  save  the  vast  blue  sea. 
Then  changing  his  form  he  would  plunge 
beneath  the  waves  and  swim  and  play  with 
the  fishes  and  serpents  of  the  deep  ;  then 
betaking  himself  to  his  canoe  he  would 
spread  its  wings  still  westward  toward  the 
sunset. 

Thus  he  had  journeyed  for  many  moons 
until  he  spied  at  last  the  shores  of  the  Maya 
land,  and  wandering  through  the  forest, 
saw  the  ruin  wrought  by  the  sad  wars 
which  had  swept  over  the  peninsula.  To 


78  Maya 

bring  the  tribes  together  as  of  old  in  one 
strong  bond,  he  had  now  sought  the  king. 
Yet  it  seemed  best  to  speak  first  with  the 
king's  daughter  ;  for  he  knew  that  often  it 
is  the  heart  of  a  woman  that  opens  most 
readily  to  the  call  for  reconciliation. 

His  plan  was  this  :  He  would  dwell  with 
them  as  their  counsellor  ;  he  would  still  the 
wrath  of  their  enemies  ;  he  would  unite 
the  tribes  ;  the  king  should  reign  in  peace 
over  the  land,  and  Uxmal,  their  ancient 
capital,  should  be  their  dwelling-place. 

"But,"  said  he,  "I  must  come  among 
your  people  as  one  of  them,  else  they  will 
doubt  my  friendship.  For  this  reason,"  he 
added,  "do  thou  make  for  me  a  garment 
like  the  king's,  that  I  may  wear  it  when  I 
go  forth  to  meet  him." 

"Therefore,"  said  Maya,  "do  thou,  dear 
Zayi_(for  thou  art  skilled  in  embroidery), 
prepare  for  him  a  flowing  white  robe  of 
finest  texture,  wrought  with  precious 
stones,  and  do  thou,  Ytzatil  (for  thou 
art  apt  in  feather-work)^ fashion  him  a 
great  crown  of  the  plumage  of  the  quetzal, 
our  royal  bird.  None  may  wear  it  but 
those  of  kingly  race,  but  is  not  a  god  greater 
than  a  king  ?  I  will  give  thee  a  gold  fillet 


Preparations  79 

to  which  thou  shall  bind  the  feathers.  And, 
IJ^Ldo  thou  bring  me  golden  sandals  and 
bracelets  and  a  splendid  necklace,  and  I 
will  seek  a  sword  from  our  armoury,  and 
we  shall  lead  the  new  god  to  the  palace  like 
a  king." 

And  they  willingly  complied,  for  Maya 
had  stilled  their  fears  and  it  seemed  to  them 
that  great  would  be  their  honour  in  thus 
bringing  a  god  to  the  city  to  be  the  coun 
sellor  of  Ahpula. 

So  day  by  day  the  princess  tended  the 
stranger,  until  his  wounds  were  healed. 

At  the  end  of  a  fortnight  the  maidens 
brought  to  the  senote  the  new  garments 
which  they  had  prepared,  and  Maya,  telling 
them  to  wait  in  the  thicket  at  a  little  dis 
tance  from  the  cave,  entered  alone  with  the 
bright  apparel  and  bade  the  stranger  array 
himself  and  come  forth  into  the  sun's  light. 

When  he  appeared  she  looked  upon  him 
in  astonishment.  She  had  never  dreamed 
that  he  was  so  stately  and  beautiful.  His 
tall  form,  his  white  skin,  his  ruddy  cheeks, 
broad  brow,  and  manly  features,  his  eyes 
like  a  reflection  of  the  skies,  made  her  al 
most  believe  that  he  must  indeed  be  the 
god  into  whom  she  would  fashion  him. 


8o  Maya 

So  fair  was  he  that  Maya  saw  no  need  of 
bedecking  him  on  face  and  neck  and  arms, 
as  she  had  thought  to  do,  with  the  bright 
colours  that  were  the  common  decoration 
of  the  men  of  her  race.  Indeed  some  of 
the  greater  gods  were  without  these  or 
naments  and  she  well  deemed  that  they 
might  be  omitted,  since  nature  itself  had 
so  clearly  stamped  upon  his  features  the 
image  of  divinity. 

Still  Sandoval  spoke  not  of  love.  The 
desire  of  her  heart  was  not  fulfilled.  Un 
less  she  should  become  his  wife  her  plans 
would  fail  and  she  would  see  him  slain 
upon  the  teocallis  as  an  impostor.  She 
had  begun  to  divine  that  despair  was  the 
reason  for  his  silence.  If  he  would  not 
speak  she  must  herself  ask  him  to  be  her 
husband.  But  if  she  should  find  him 
reluctant  !  The  thought  choked  her. 

Yet  now  was  the  time.  She  must  not 
delay  until  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza  came,  for 
then  all  hope  of  succour  would  be  gone. 

So  in  a  low  voice,  that  never  before  had 
trembled,  she  said : 

"If  I  am  to  save  thee  I  must  be  thy 
wife."  And  she  dared  not  look  upon  his 
face  for  the  answer. 


Preparations  81 

Then  all  at  once  from  his  hopeless  heart 
there  broke  forth  such  a  torrent  of  over 
mastering  py  that  he  knew  not  what  he 
did,  but  clasped  her  in  his  arms  and 
showered  kisses  upon  her  brow  and  cheeks 
and  lips  and  spoke  such  words  of  love  as 
would  only  be  defiled  if  they  were  heard 
by  other  ears. 

Her  maidens  waited  long  for  her  in  the 
copse  behind  the  first  turn  of  the  path  and 
wondered  why  it  was  that  she  delayed  her 
coming.  Doubtless  there  must  be  things 
of  great  importance  which  the  god  was 
telling  her !  And  when  at  last  she  came, 
though  she  spoke  not  a  word  and  none 
was  asked  her,  they  saw  that  her  far-off 
eyes  were  radiant  with  joy,  and  they  felt 
that  the  fair  deity  had  blessed  her  and  that 
the  coming  days  would  be  filled  with  peace 
and  happiness. 

6 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    NEW-MADE   GOD 

THE  time  had  now  arrived  when  the 
presence  of  the  stranger  could  no 
longer  be  concealed.  It  would  not  do  to 
wait  until  Canek  should  come  to  claim  his 
wife  and  then  break  to  him  the  humiliating 
news  that  she  was  to  be  the  bride  of 
another.  She  must  be  wedded  first  and 
word  must  be  sent  to  him  before  he  set 
forth  from  Peten-Itza. 

So  Maya  sought  an  interview  with  the 
king  and  in  the  presence  of  the  queen,  her 
mother,  she  thus  told  her  story  : 

"A  week  ago  when  I  went  with  my 
maidens  to  the  senote,  one  of  them  saw 
within  the  pool  a  beautiful^god  with  fair 
face  and  eyes  like  the  morning,  and  hair 
like  the  flax  of  the  hennequin,  and  light 
curling  beard.  He  rose  from  the  water 
82 


The  New-Made  God        83 

and  talked  with  me  and  told  me  who  he 
was.  He  is  the  god  whose  coming  was 
foretold  in  the  books  of  Chilan-Balam.  He 
has  journeyed  from  the  East  and  crossed 
the  waters  in  a  great  canoe  with  wings, 
and  he  has  come  to  unite  the  tribes  and  to 
make  thee  again  king  over  all  He  will 
dwell  in  the  city  and  be  thy  counsellor,  but 
he  warns  thee  to  make  no  league  with 
Peten-Itza,  for  Canek  is  faithless  and  would 
strip  thee  even  of  Mani.  The  bright 
stranger  has  taught  me  the  language  of 
the  gods  and  I  am  to  be  his  priestess.  He 
will  soften  the  hearts  of  the  tribes  through 
out  the  land  and  they  will  follow  thee  ; 
and  Uxmal,  our  ancient  capital,  shall  be  thy 
dwelling-place,  and  its  glory  shall  be 
greater  than  of  old. 

"  After  he  had  told  me  these  things  he 
floated  upward  among  the  clouds  and  I 
could  see  him  no  more,  but  each  day  since, 
he  has  returned  and  I  have  brought  him 
fruits  and  flowers.  But  until  to-day  he  bade 
me  keep  his  coming  secret.  To-morrow  he 
will  appear  before  thee,  my  maidens  shall 
bring  him  to  the  palace,  and  thou  and  the 
high-priest  and  the  nobles  must  meet  him 
in  the  garden,  and  he  will  wed  me  ere  the 


84  Maya 

sun  is  set,  for  he  has  bidden  me  abide  al 
ways  at  his  side,  and  he  asks  thee  to  make 
ready  for  us  a  chamber  in  the  temple  of 
the  Sun  where  we  may  dwell  together." 

Now  the  king  was  greatly  astonished  at 
this  speech,  as  well  he  might  be.  He  be 
lieved  his  daughter,  but  it  seemed  to  him 
that  she  might  have  been  beguiled.  So  he 
summoned  his  chief  priests  and  nobles  and 
to  them  he  told  the  story,  and  they  held 
counsel  together  and  one  of  them  said  : 

"  Let  it  be  as  thy  daughter  has  spoken. 
Let  us  go  before  the  stranger  and  let  the 
high-priest  ask  him  concerning  the  mys 
teries  of  our  faith,  and  let  the  king  question 
him  regarding  the  secrets  of  the  kingdom, 
and  if  he  answer  well  concerning  all  these 
things,  then  shall  we  know  that  he  is  a 
god  indeed,  and  he  may  dwell  in  the 
temple  and  wed  the  princess  and  be  our 
counsellor." 

And  thus  it  seemed  best  to  all.  So  mes 
sengers  were  dispatched  throughout  the 
city  to  bid  the  people  prepare  for  a  festival 
upon  the  morrow,  if  so  it  might  be  that 
the  answers  of  the  stranger  were  wise  and 
true. 

In  the  morning  Maya  went  again  with 


The  New-Made  God        85 

her  maidens  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern. 
She  entered  alone  and  talked  long  and 
earnestly  with  Sandoval.  She  told  him 
that  she  had  spoken  with  her  father  and 
that  a  council  had  been  held  and  all  had 
been  made  ready  to  receive  him.  She 
taught  him  how  a  god  should  bear  himself, 
and  she  added  : 

"  Listen  carefully  to  all  that  I  shall  say  in 
thy  name,  then  thou  shalt  know  what  to 
do.  But  speak  thyself  in  no  other  lan 
guage  than  thine  own,  for  it  must  not  be 
seen  that  in  any  point  I  am  instructing 
thee." 

Then  they  walked  forth  together  into  the 
sunlight,  and  at  the  first  turn  of  the  path 
they  came  upon  the  attendants  of  the  prin 
cess,  who  were  awaiting  them  under  a 
great  ceiba. 

As  they  approached,  the  maidens  fell 
upon  the  earth  before  him.  He  commanded 
them  to  rise,  and  all  moved  on  together, 
the  stranger  first,  then  Maya,  then  her  at 
tendants.  Upon  his  shoulder  he  carried 
the  sword  she  had  brought  him.  It  was 
made  of  strong  wood  with  sharp  knives 
of  flint  on  either  side.  His  long  robe  was 
richly  embroidered,  and  the  bright  quetzal 


86  Maya 

feathers  of  his  crown  danced  in  the  sun 
light. 

When  they  reached  the  gate  leading  to 
the  palace  garden  it  was  already  open  and 
within  stood  the  king's  guard,  who,  after 
making  due  obeisance,  followed  in  their 
train. 

Then  they  saw  the  king  himself  borne 
through  the  grove  on  a  litter  upon  the 
shoulders  of  his  chief  nobles,  with  a  can 
opy  of  glittering  feathers  above  him  and 
great  fans  waving  at  his  side.  He  was 
followed  by  his  priests  and  counsellors,  and 
as  they  drew  near,  Ahpula  descended  and 
walked  forth  to  meet  the  stranger. 

Now  Maya  had  instructed  Sandoval  that 
whenever  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  he 
was  to  make  a  short  speech  in  his  own 
tongue.  This  he  did  when  he  saw  the 
king  approaching,  and  the  princess  thus 
interpreted  his  words  : 

"Kneel,  O  king,  receive  my  blessing, 
and  kiss  the  sword  I  bring  for  thy  pro 
tection." 

The  monarch  obeyed,  and  all  who  saw 
it  felt  that  here  indeed  must  be  a  mighty 
deity  ! 

Maya  perceived  from  the  reverent  eyes 


The  New-Made  God        87 

of  the  multitude,  who  remained  aloof  from 
awe  and  fear,  that  even  before  the  ques 
tioning  began  her  victory  was  won. 

The  stranger  spoke  again,  and  these  were 
his  words  as  rendered  by  the  king's 
daughter : 

"Thou  hast  done  well,  O  king  !  Here 
after  kneel  no  more,  for  thou  and  I  shall 
walk  together  side  by  side,  and  I  will  be 
thy  counsellor." 

Following  the  king  came  the  high-priest 
bearing  flowers  which,  after  due  prostra 
tions,  he  offered  to  the  god.  The  answer 
was  low  and  solemn. 

"1  take  thy  gifts,"  he  said,  "not  that  I 
need  them,  for  how  should  he  lack  flowers 
by  whose  breath  the  plants  grow  and  break 
into  blossoms,  but  because  the  gift  bears 
witness  to  thy  reverent  heart." 

Tnus  indeed  do  the  gods  speak  !  Such 
was  the  conviction  of  all  as  the  multitude 
prostrated  themselves  upon  the  ground, 
touched  their  fingers  to  the  earth,  and  then 
placed  them  upon  their  hearts  in  token  of 
worship. 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE  WEDDING 

SO  successfully  had  Maya  conducted  the 
interview  that  the  high-priest  was 
stricken  with  fear  at  the  thought  of  putting 
questions  to  a  deity,  who  might  well  resent 
any  suspicions  of  his  divinity. 

And  when  they  had  come  to  the  palace 
and  ascended  the  steps  of  the  terraces  on 
which  it  stood,  they  sat  together,  god  and 
king,  on  two  small  thrones  under  a  canopy 
upon  the  platform  in  front  of  the  royal 
chamber,  in  full  view  of  the  nobles  who 
stood  upon  the  terrace  just  beneath,  and 
of  the  multitude  who  had  gathered  in  the 
broad  square  still  lower  down. 

After  they  were  seated,  with  Maya  stand 
ing  at  the  stranger's  side  and  the  high-priest 
before  them  in  his  vestments,  the  latter  be 
gan  his  questions  in  the  form  of  a  prayer 

88 


The  Wedding  89 

for  advice,  but  couched  in  such  language 
that  it  would  need  for  answer  a  knowledge 
of  the  religious  observances  of  the  people. 
He  asked  how  long  it  would  be  before  the 
city  must  celebrate  the  festival  to  Chaac,  and 
what  ought  to  be  the  forms  with  which  they 
should  conduct  their  prayers  and  ceremonies. 

The  stranger  spoke  in  the  unknown 
tongue,  and  his  young  priestess  thus  de 
clared  his  answer  : 

"O  Ahkin  Mai,  why  dost  thou  ask  that 
which  thou  knowest  already  ?  Not  twice 
eight  times  has  the  cross  made  its  circle  in 
the  southern  skies  since  thou  didst  climb 
the  steps  of  thy  teocallis  and  there  didst 
put  the  self-same  question  to  the  stars, 
and  they  did  answer  thee.  Why  dost  thou 
ask  again  ?  Men  may  be  false,  even  the 
gods  may  beguile  thee,  but  the  stars  never 
lie.  Thou  didst  listen  to  their  shining 
voice>;  thou  didst  cast  up  the  hours  and 
find  tnat  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  month  of 
Mac  the  festival  should  begin.  Nay,  thou 
hast  already  given  thy  commands  for  every 
part  of  the  solemn  observances.  Why 
should  I  repeat  them  ?  Thou  hast  no  need 
of  my  counsel." 

The  eye  of  the  priest  quailed  and  sought 


90  Maya 

the  ground.  Here  was  a  god  who  had  not 
only  known  his  deeds,  but  had  divined  his 
very  thoughts  !  His  voice  trembled  as  he 
stammered  an  excuse. 

"True  indeed  thou  speakest,  mighty 
one,  but  thy  servant  is  old,  and  though  the 
stars  never  lie,  yet  my  poor  eyes  grow  dim, 
and  I  may  fail  to  read  aright  the  message 
that  they  send.  I  would  riot  dishonour  our 
festival  by  beginning  it  at  an  unhallowed 
time,  therefore  I  questioned  thee." 

But  the  stranger's  answer  showed  still 
more  clearly  his  omniscience. 

"On  every  teocallis  in  this  city  there 
went  forth  that  same  night  a  priest  who 
made  report  to  thee.  Every  answer  was 
the  same.  Surely  thou  couldst  not  doubt 
them  all." 

The  priest  was  silent.  He  dared  ask  no 
more.  That  would  be  blasphemy,  to  be 
followed,  doubtless,  by  some  awfr-;  pun 
ishment  !  The  stranger  must  be  indeed 
the  mightiest  of  the  gods,  for  Ahkin  Mai 
had  never  yet  stood  before  any  who  could 
thus  overwhelm  him  with  confusion. 

Then  the  king  spoke.  All  doubt  had 
now  vanished  from  his  mind,  and  his  ap 
peal  for  counsel  was  sincere. 


The  Wedding  91 

"To  that  festival,"  he  said,  "will  come 
Canek,  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza.  He  has 
asked  the  hand  of  my  daughter,  and  I  have 
promised  it.  He  offers  to  aid  me  in  over 
coming  the  tribes  that  have  rebelled  against 
our  royal  house  and  in  re-establishing  my 
empire.  Dost  thou  know  him  ?" 

The  stranger  answered  long  and  ear 
nestly,  and  Maya  thus  gave  forth  the  mean 
ing  of  his  speech  : 

"  I  know  Canek  well,  though  he  has 
never  seen  me.  Before  I  came  to  thee  I 
wandered  in  the  guise  of  a  serpent  through 
the  temples  of  Tayasal,  and  once  I  glided 
close  to  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza  at  his  council 
board,  though  none  saw  me.  I  heard  him 
tell  the  dark  designs  he  nourishes  against 
thee,  and  I  have  come  to  warn  thee.  Thou 
hast  striven  against  him  in  many  wars  ; 
thou  knowest  that  he  is  crafty  and  cruel. 
He  has  failed  to  overcome  thee  in  battle, 
and  \  '  "Geeks  thy  ruin  by  stratagem  and 
guile.  "  He  will  come  to  thee  with  many 
warriors,  speaking  words  of  friendship  and 
clad  in  the  garments  of  peace,  but  under 
neath  the  girth-cloth  each  of  his  retainers 
will  hide  a  sharpened  knife,  and  at  the 
banquet  he  will  command  them  to  drink 


92  Maya 

nothing,  but  to  pour  their  cups  upon  the 
ground.  Then  when  thy  people  have  laid 
aside  their  weapons  and  have  grown  heavy 
with  wine,  his  men  will  spring  upon  thee 
and  will  slay  thy  followers,  and  seizing 
thee  they  will  bear  thee  away  to  offer  to 
their  gods  in  sacrifice.  They  will  burn  thy 
city  and  thy  queen  will  wander  homeless 
from  land  to  land.  Trust  not  the  lord  of 
Peten-Itza,  for  he  is  to-day  what  he  has 
ever  been,  the  chief  among  thy  enemies. 
Nay,  more  ;  if  thou  wilt  have  me  abide 
with  thy  people,  then  Maya  must  also  stay, 
for  the  gods  speak  a  tongue  which  is  not 
like  the  language  of  men,  though  they  hear 
and  understand  all  that  you  say.  I  will 
counsel  thee  only  through  the  lips  of  her 
whom  I  have  chosen,  and  if  thou  wilt  have 
me  keep  thee  from  evil  and  strengthen  thy 
dominion,  then  I  must  wed  thy  daughter, 
so  that  she  shall  remain  ever  at  my  side. 
This  very  day  must  the  rite^/'i  per 
formed."  '  K" 

So  the  king  gave  orders  for  tbe  celebra 
tion  of  the  marriage  and  for  the  feast  which 
was  to  follow.  For  this  he  did  not  ask  the 
consent  of  his  daughter ;  that  was  not  the 
Maya  custom.  Daughters  must  obey,  and 


The  Wedding  93 

in  the  present  case  no  daughter  could  be 
niore  willingly  j)bedient. 

There  was  of  course  less  magnificence 
at  the  wedding  than  there  would  have  been 
had  more  time  been  given  to  its  prepara 
tion.  But  Maya,  like  the  wise  maiden  that 
she  was,  cared  less  for  the  splendour  of 
the  occasion  than  for  the  life  that  was  to 
follow. 

In  taking  a  husband  of  whom  she  knew 
so  little,  thou  wilt  say,  reader,  that  she  was 
not  wise  ;  and  thou  wilt  perhaps  have  even 
a  graver  fault  to  find  with  her  for  thus 
hoodwinking  in  such  outrageous  fashion 
not  only  her  parents,  but  her  people  and 
the  priests  of  her  religion.  Yet  she  did 
devoutly  believe  that  some  such  calamity 
as  she  had  prophesied  would  in  all  likeli 
hood  follow  an  alliance  with  Peten-Itza,  and 
if  so,  how  could  she  better  warn  her  father 
of  the  danger  than  by  announcing  it  to  him 
as  the  prophecy  of  a  god  ? 

To  dwell  far  from  home  through  the 
long  years  to  come,  in  daily  contact  with 
the  rebel -tird  —  old,  ugly,  treacherous,  and 
cruel  —  thkr-was  of  all  things  what  she 
most  abhorred.  And  to  live  with  the  fair 
stranger  she  had  rescued  —  surely  the  gods 


94  Maya 

would  pardon  much,  knowing,  as  they 
must,  how  sorely  she  was  tempted  ! 

So  the  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  in 
due  order. 

"  What  simple  folk  is  this,"  I  hearthee say 
ing,  ' '  to  take  a  poor  wanderer  for  a  god  ! " 

Are  thine  own  people  then  so  astute  ? 
There  are  indeed  no  witches  nowadays, 
and  ghosts  are  much  discredited,  but  did 
not  thine  own  townsmen  a  few  weeks 
since  hold  converse  with  some  great  soul 
in  Elysium, — with  Plato,  or  Confucius,  or 
Washington,  or  perhaps  with  the  spirit  of 
his  own  wife,  who  wrote  to  him  upon  a 
slate  the  things  that  he  had  known  for  many 
years  ?  Did  not  thy  friend  commune  with 
Chelas  from  the  Himalayas  ?  Or  hast  thou  not 
a  brother  at  death's  door,  racked  with  dis 
ease,  who  tells  thee  there  are  no  such  things 
as  pain  and  suffering  ?  Did  not  Moses  talk 
with  the  Lord,  did  not  Elijah  mount  to 
heaven  upon  a  chariot  of  fire  ?  How  then 
shall  we,  the  children  of  light,  wonder  at 
those  who,  having  not  Moses  or  t<  ,e  proph 
ets,  believed  in  their  wild  fanc\e?nat  some 
other  god,  as  needful  perhaps,-  ico  them  as 
Jehovah  to  the  tribes  of  Israel,  nad  come  to 
dwell  among  them  and  give  them  succour  ? 


CHAPTER  XVI 


AT  THE   CHAMBER    IN   THE   TEMPLE 

HPHE  wedding  feast  was  ended.  The 
1  guests  had  tasted  to  the  full  the 
short-lived  pleasure  of  the  wine-cup,  not 
deemed  by  them  a  dishonour,  but  rather  a 
temporary  transportation  to  paradise,  as 
the  fit  sequel  of  religious  duties  well 
performed.  They  had  now  sought  their 
homes,  for  the  night  was  far  advanced,  and 
Sandoval  had  been  conducted  with  his 
bride  to  the  appointed  chamber  in  the 
temple. 

At  last  they  were  alone  !  The  love  which 
had  been  stifled  through  the  tedious  cere 
monial  and  the  wearisome  hours  of  the 
long  festival,  now  broke  out  in  a  pas 
sionate  torrent  from  their  hearts  and  lips. 
But  even  as  he  lavished  his  caresses  upon 
the  beautiful  creature  whom  he  held  in  his 

95 


96  Maya 

embrace,  the  thoughts  of  his  bride  went 
on  beyond  the  present  hour  of  happi 
ness  into  the  future  years  they  were  to 
live  together,  nay,  even  into  the  eternity 
beyond. 

"Most  unworthy,"  she  said,  "will  be 
our  union  if  it  be  but  for  ourselves  alone. 
Thou  must  become  like  the  god  1  have 
declared  thee.  Thou  shalt  be  indeed  the 
deliverer  of  my  people,  and  great  will  be 
my  joy  above  all  other  women  of  my  race, 
for  thou  canst  not  suffer  me  to  stay  at 
home  when  thou  goest  forth  to  council  or 
to  battle,  but  in  every  trial,  in  every  danger, 
thy  priestess  must  be  always  at  thy  side. 
We  are  joined  together  by  no  common 
bond  ;  in  thought,  and  speech,  and  action 
we  must  be  forever  one. 

"  Long  may  we  thus  abide  !  Long  may 
the  dread  Yuncemil  who  cuts  short  men's 
days  loiter  and  hesitate  ere  he  lays  his  cold 
hand  on  thy  golden  hair.  Let  him  rather 
strike  me  first,  for  not  an  hour  could  I  out 
live  thee  and  hear  men  say  that  thou  wert 
not  a  god.  If  perchance  while  I  am  yet 
alive  the  time  shall  come  when  disease  shall 
hang  heavy  over  thee  and  I  shall  hear  the 
steps  of  death  approaching,  I  will  bear  thee 


At  the  Chamber  in  the  Temple  97 

forth  alone  into  the  forest,  and  hide  thee 
where  none  shall  know  whither  thou  hast 
fled,  and  I  will  tell  the  priests  that  thou  hast 
risen  to  the  home  of  the  gods  and  I  will  bid 
them  offer  me  to  thee  in  sacrifice  so  that 
together  we  may  make  the  dreadful  journey 
to  the  world  of  spirits. 

"I  will  run  to  thee  while  my  heart  still 
smokes  upon  the  altar,  and  thou  must  linger 
on  the  way  until  I  overtake  thee.  I  will 
not  be  long  for  I  am  fleet  of  foot,  and 
we  shall  walk  together  between  the  lofty 
mountains  that  stand  on  either  hand  to 
crush  the  souls  of  the  unworthy  as  they 
advance  along  the  narrow  pathway  ;  but 
thee  they  shall  not  overcome,  for  with  my 
great  love  I  shall  be  with  thee,  and  I  will 
stay  them  and  thou  shalt  pass  unharmed. 
And  when  we  meet  the  serpent  whose  huge 
bulk  lies  stretched  across  the  deep  valley 
beyond,  we  shall  not  fear  him,  for  we  know 
his  sting  destroys  only  the  craven  souls 
that  flee.  Then  shall  we  bravely  encounter 
the  "wind  of  knives"  and  its  sharp  tor 
ments  shall  beat  upon  us  in  vain,  and  we 
shall  cross  the  eight  deserts  and  the  nine 
great  streams  that  flow  around  the  islands 
of  the  dead.  There  I  must  rest  a  little  on 

7 


98  Maya 

thy  strong  arm,  for  thou  knowest  the  ways 
of  the  waters  and  they  shall  not  overwhelm 
us.* 

"  And  when  at  last  we  come  to  the  gar 
dens  of  the  blest,  Ixtab  the  goddess  will 
surely  know  the  daughter  of  the  king,  and 
thee  too  will  she  welcome,  for  I  will  tell  her 
that  that  art  my  husband  and  my  love. 
And  she  will  lead  us  together  to  Yaxche, 
the  tree  of  life,  whose  green  branches 
stretch  over  the  clear  waters,  and  there  the 
maidens  of  paradise  shall  spread  our  tables 
and  bring  us  food  and  wine,  and  I  will  sing 
to  thee  and  we  shall  dwell  in  the  cool  shade 
forever. 

"Thus  will  it  be  with  us  if  thou  first 
shalt  die.  But  if  I  go  before  thee,  when  I 
come  to  the  great  tree,  I  will  not  remain, 
for  paradise  will  not  be  paradise  if  thou  be 
not  with  me  to  share  it.  And  I  will  ask 
Ixtab,  the  queen,  to  change  me  into  a  bird 
and  I  will  spread  my  wings  and  fly  back  to 
thy  home — our  home — and  thou  shalt  see 

*  In  this  reference  to  a  five  days'  journey  to  the 
world  of  spirits  which  is  common  to  both  the  Nahuatl 
and  Maya  races,  I  have  followed  the  more  specific  Aztec 
tradition,  since  that  of  the  Mayas  (although  probably 
similar)  has  not  been  definitely  preserved. 


At  the  Chamber  in  the  Temple  99 

me  on  the  boughs  in  the  palace  garden  and 
sometimes  I  will  fly  in  at  thy  door  and 
perch  upon  thy  shoulder  and  sing  to  thee  as 
the  birds  sing  in  paradise,  and  thou  shalt 
know  from  the  song  whether  thou  hast 
done  the  thing  that  Maya  loves. 

"In  thy  hours  of  joy  1  will  sing  loud  and 
clear,  and  when  thou  art  sad  my  song  will 
be  soft  and  low  to  bring  thee  comfort. 
Surely  thou  wilt  not  forget  me  !  For  if 
thou  shouldst  seek  another  bride  my  voice 
would  choke  and  my  wings  would  droop 
and  I  would  hide  from  thee  and  mourn." 

And  the  tears  glistened  in  her  eyes  as  she 
clung  to  him. 

"Forget  thee?  Seek  another  bride?" 
cried  Sandoval.  "If  my  heart  shall  ever 
beat  with  any  thought  that  is  not  en 
twined  with  the  love  of  thee,  let  it  be  still 
forever  !  " 

She  released  him  and  stood  gazing  into 
his  clear  eyes. 

"Nay,  thou  must  be  true  to  me  not  in 
life  alone,  but  even  amid  the  shades  of  Mit- 
nal.  And  when  thou  comest  after  me,  I 
will  be  with  thee  on  the  dread  journey.  I 
will  caress  thy  cheek  with  my  bright  plum 
age,  and  will  sing  a  song  of  victory  while 


ioo  Maya 

thou  art  passing  through  the  dark  terrors. 
I  will  tell  Ixtab  of  thy  coming  and  she  shall 
prepare  thy  home  and  mine  under  the  great 
tree  and  I  shall  become  thy  bride  again  and 
dwell  with  thee  forever." 

Sandoval,  child  of  earth  as  he  was,  was 
more  eager  to  enjoy  the  delights  of  the 
present  than  to  dream  of  a  future  which 
could  not  increase  his  happiness.  More 
over,  when  his  bride  talked  of  the  Maya 
paradise  and  the  dreadful  journey  which 
they  must  make  together  to  reach  it,  he 
could  barely  comprehend  her.  He  had 
been  taught  that  all  such  things  —  the 
huge  serpent,  the  strange  gods,  the  trans 
formation  of  a  human  being  into  a  bird, — 
must  be  the  offspring  of  incantations  and 
witchcraft,  the  work  of  the  devil,  con 
demned  by  Holy  Church,  and  therefore  ac 
cursed. 

But  could  the  enemy  of  mankind  speak 
through  lips  so  tender  and  affectionate  as 
those  of  his  beloved  ?  It  could  not  be  ! 
As  to  her  heaven  and  her  heathen  gcrds, 
why  think  of  these  when  he  was  already 
in  paradise  ?  He  was  greatly  confused  by 
mingled  emotions  of  love  and  duty,  and  he 
answered  : 


At  the  Chamber  in  the  Temple  101 

''Thou  shalt  speak  with  me  hereafter  of 
thy  gods  and  thy  paradise,  and  I  will  tell 
thee  of  mine,  but  to-night  let  us  think  only 
of  our  love  " ;  and  as  they  walked  on  the  nar 
row  terrace  of  the  temple  he  passionately  de 
clared  that  for  him  there  could  be  no  heaven 
that  was  not  lighted  by  her  shining  eyes, 
and  no  earth  that  was  not  pressed  by  the 
footfall  of  her  tiny  feet. 

But  she  was  not  content  to  put  off  the 
time  when  they  should  wholly  understand 
each  other.  "Tell  me  now,"  she  said, 
"  the  mysteries  of  thy  faith." 

Then  he  related  to  her  in  such  rude  fash 
ion  as  he  might,  the  story  of  the  threefold 
Deity,  the  Father  of  all,  the  Son  born  of  a 
Virgin  who  died  upon  the  cross  to  save 
mankind,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Com 
forter.  He  told  her  of  the  saints  and  angels 
and  the  martyrs  of  the  Church  ;  he  pict 
ured  the  joys  of  heaven,  with  its  great 
white  throne  and  beatific  vision  ;  he  de 
scribed  the  trials  of  purgatory  and  the  end 
less  pains  of  hell.  She  listened  eagerly, 
and  when  he  ended,  "Thou  has  not  told 
me,"  she  said,  "  whether  in  thy  bright  city 
of  the  blest  I  am  to  be  thy  bride  ?  Shall 
we  dwell  there  together  ?  Wilt  thou  love 


io2  Maya 

me  as  I  love  thee  here  ?  Wilt  thou  be  my 
husband  ?" 

He  was  silent,  for  he  could  not  answer 
her.  Across  his  memory  came  the  crush 
ing  words,  "They  neither  marry  nor  are 
given  in  marriage,"  words  that  he  had 
not  thought  of  for  years,  but  now  they 
choked  him,  for  they  seemed  to  stand  as  an 
eternal  barrier  between  his  religion  and  his 
bride.  He  stammered  the  reply  that  so 
great  would  be  their  happiness  they  would 
not  miss  the  forgotten  joys  of  earth. 

"  But  didst  thou  not  tell  me  there  could 
be  no  heaven  where  my  eyes  did  not  shine  ? 
Didst  thou  not  promise  never  to  forget  ? 
Art  thou  content  to  be  my  husband  for  a 
few  short  years  on  earth  ?  Thy  love  is  not 
like  mine." 

And  in  sorrow  her  face  fell  upon  his 
breast. 

He  stood  long  irresolute.  He  stroked 
her  hair  and  caressed  her,  but  could  not 
comfort  her.  He  could  feel  her  low  sobs 
upon  his  bosom.  At  last,  with  one  over 
powering  impulse,  he  passionately  held  her 
to  his  heart  and  cried  : 

"  Nay,  I  will  never  leave  thee,  neither  in 
earth  nor  in  heaven  nor  amid  the  pains  of 


At  the  Chamber  in  the  Temple  103 

hell  !  Wherever  thou  art,  there  will  I  be 
also.  Beneath  the  great  tree  we  will  dwell 
together,  and  thy  gods  and  thy  paradise 
they  shall  be  mine  !  " 

Again  she  stood  erect  before  him,  and 
under  the  moonlight  that  shone  full  upon 
her  gleaming  eyes  her  face  seemed  glorified 
and  transfigured  by  her  joy. 

Then  they  walked  hand  in  hand  into 
the  bridal  chamber  and  drew  together  the 
long,  heavy  curtains  which  shut  out  the 
world. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE   EMBASSY 

IN  the  morning  they  were  bidden  to  the 
royal  council,  for  time  was  pressing 
and  an  embassy  must  be  sent  forthwith  to 
Peten-Itza  to  break  the  unwelcome  news 
that  the  king's  daughter  was  already 
wedded. 

But  who  should  go  upon  this  dangerous 
errand  ?  By  the  Maya  law  the  persons  of 
ambassadors  were  sacred,  yet  no  one 
dreamed  that  the  ferocious  Canek  would 
observe  this  wholesome  rule,  for  many  a 
time  before  had  the  bearers  of  evil  tidings 
fallen  victims  to  his  wrath.  So  none  would 
venture  forth. 

Then  some  advised  that  the  king  him 
self  should  go  to  Tayasal  with  his  whole 
army  ;  others  that  he  should  await  at  Mani 
the  coming  of  this  formidable  chief. 
104 


The  Enroassy  105 

When  the  new  god  appeared  in  the  as 
sembly  with  his  bride,  after  all  had  made 
due  homage,  they  told  him  of  their  straits 
and  asked  his  counsel.  And  this  was  his 
answer  as  declared  by  Maya's  lips  : 

"It  would  be  madness,  O  king,  to  go 
forth  with  thy  troops  and  leave  the  city 
undefended,  for  we  have  other  foes  near 
at  home,  and  while  thou  art  away,  at 
the  utmost  verge  of  the  peninsula,  the 
tribes  of  the  north  will  fall  upon  those 
who  remain  and  will  lay  waste  the  city 
and  the  fields.  And  shame  would  it  be 
to  abide  here  and  tell  the  lord  of  Peten- 
Itza  nothing  of  the  things  that  thou  hast 
done,  but  suffer  him  to  come  seeking  a  wife, 
and  find  himself  betrayed.  Then  indeed 
in  his  wrath  would  he  make  a  league  with 
others,  and  they  would  overwhelm  thee. 
But  I  alone  will  go  as  thy  ambassador,  for 
I  am  immortal  and  no  weapon  wrought  by 
man  can  harm  me.  I  will  go  with  my 
priestess  and  we  will  tell  him  all.  I  will 
say  to  him  that  what  thou  hast  done  has 
been  at  my  command,  and  I  will  bring  rich 
gifts  and  offer  him  thy  friendship  and  thy 
love.  And  if  among  thy  nobles  any  shall 
be  found  who  fear  not  to  go  with  us,  let 


io6  Maya 

them  follow  in  our  train.  If  not,  I  and  my 
priestess  —  we  will  go  alone." 

Then  there  was  great  gladness  among 
the  chiefs  and  all  approved,  and  one  said  : 
"Here  indeed  is  our  deliverer,  for  he  fears 
not  to  do  himself  the  thing  that  he  enjoins. 
Such  a  god  will  I  follow  with  a  trustful 
heart,  for  I  know  that  he  will  keep  us  from 
all  harm." 

Then  many  others  said  they  too  would 

go- 
None  indeed  gave  praise  to  the  king's 
daughter,  who  alone  had  planned  this  dar 
ing  deed,  for  no  one  knew  that  it  was  her 
counsel.  But  she  cared  not  for  this  ;  she 
was  filled  with  a  great  joy,  to  see  her  hus 
band  honoured  and  obeyed.  So  on  the 
same  day,  with  a  great  train,  they  set 
forth  together,  and  the  new  god  wore  the 
quetzal  crown  and  four  nobles  carried  him 
upon  the  king's  litter,  while  his  bride  was 
borne  behind  him.  And  thus  they  travelled 
through  the  winding  paths  for  many  days. 
When  they  came  to  the  great  lake  far  to 
the  south,  wherein  the  island  of  Peten-Itza 
lay,  they  sent  a  messenger  to  tell  the  lord 
of  the  city  that  the  king's  embassy  was 
waiting  on  the  shore,  and  to  bid  him  come 


The  Embassy  107 

forth  and  meet  them.  And  when  the  crafty 
Canek  asked  what  might  be  the  tidings, 
the  messenger  answered  that  he  did  not 
know  ;  for  he  dared  not  become  the  first 
bearer  of  the  evil  news. 

So  Canek  sallied  forth,  followed  by  a 
bright  array  of  warriors,  and  they  who 
waited  on  the  strand  could  see  the  swift 
canoes  approaching  from  the  city  of  many 
temples  and  dancing  upon  the  shining 
waves.  When  he  reached  the  shore,  Canek 
advanced,  and  the  fair  god  with  Maya  at 
his  side  descended  to  the  ground  and  went 
forth  to  meet  him. 

Now  the  presence  of  a  woman  on  such 
an  embassy  was  a  thing  unknown  before 
in  the  history  of  that  people,  and  the  chief 
of  Peten-Itza  was  astonished  when  he  be 
held  her.  But  when  they  came  nearer  and 
Canek  saw  the  thick  tresses  and  dark  eyes 
of  the  girl  and  her  unconscious  majesty,  a 
great  longing  fell  upon  him,  and  he  thought : 

"When  I  am  wedded  to  the  king's 
daughter  this  maiden  shall  be  my  slave  ; 
there  is  none  like  her  upon  the  earth." 

For,  never  having  seen  the  king's  daugh 
ter,  he  knew  not  that  it  was  she  who  was 
before  him. 


io8  Maya 

And  when  they  met,  the  chief  made  his 
obeisance  to  the  ambassador,  who  in  that 
place  stood  for  the  king,  and  said  : 

"Thou  who  hast  come  from  great  Ah- 
pula,  whose  daughter  is  to  be  my  bride, 
what  message  hast  thou  brought  ?  " 

Sandoval  made  answer  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  and  Maya  thus  interpreted  the 
words  : 

"I  come  indeed  bringing  a  message 
from  the  king,  but  I  am  more  than  his  am 
bassador  ;  I  am  the  god  foretold  in  the 
books  of  Chilan-Balam  and  I  have  de 
scended  to  earth  to  be  the  king's  coun 
sellor  and  his  guide.  Though  I  understand 
not  the  speech  only,  but  the  very  thoughts 
of  men,  I  will  not  deign  to  hold  converse 
with  them  save  in  my  own  tongue.  My 
priestess,  who  knows  the  language  of  the 
gods,  is  at  my  side  ;  she  will  tell  thee  the 
message  that  I  bring." 

The  chief  was  disconcerted  at  this  reply. 
He  marvelled  much  at  the  appearance  of 
the  stranger.  A  being  so  fair  and  godlike 
he  had  never  seen  before,  yet  he  was 
moved  to  doubt  the  divinity  of  one  who  thus 
came  from  the  king  without  warning,  and 
who  might  prove  hurtful  to  himself  in 


The  Embassy  109 

projects  which  aimed  at  the  final  conquest 
of  the  kingdom.  So  with  a  slight  sneer 
he  coldly  asked  : 

"  What  is  the  message  ?  " 

Maya's  face  flushed  in  anger  at  the  chiefs 
scant  courtesy.  Through  her  lips  the  an 
swer  of  Sandoval  was  declared  : 

"The  king  sends  thee  rich  gifts  and 
seeks  as  ever  thy  alliance  and  thy  love,  but 
his  daughter  thou  canst  not  have,  for  at  my 
command  he  has  bestowed  her  upon  me 
and  I  have  wedded  her,  and  she  has  come 
with  me,  not  only  as  my  priestess  but  my 
bride." 

A  dark  cloud  gathered  upon  Canek's 
brow.  The  beautiful  creature  whom  he 
saw  before  him  was  then  the  maiden  to 
whom  he  had  been  himself  betrothed,  and 
she  was  already  the  wife  of  another  !  Un 
able  to  contain  his  wrath  at  the  indignity 
cast  upon  him  in  the  presence  of  his  own 
warriors,  he  cried  to  them  : 

"  Seize  the  impostor!  Bring  him  to  the 
city  that  we  may  sacrifice  him  to  our  gods. 
Let  all  who  are  with  him  perish  save  only 
the  king's  daughter,  and  bind  her  also,  for 
she  shall  be  my  slave  !  " 

But  not  a  soul  stirred.      The  speech  and 


no  Maya 

the  commanding  presence  of  the  stranger 
had  filled  with  a  strange  awe  the  hearts  of 
the  warriors  of  Peten-Itza.  It  seemed  to 
them  that  they  were  indeed  in  the  presence 
of  a  deity.  They  feared  their  chief  but 
they  dreaded  still  more  the  retribution  of 
the  gods.  They  trembled  and  no  man 
moved. 

"  Cowards  !  "  shrieked  Canek  :  "  Must  I 
show  you  with  mine  own  arm  that  this  pre 
tender  is  no  more  a  god  than  yourselves  ? 
Must  you  see  him  bleed  ?  " 

And  springing  back,  he  seized  a  bow 
from  an  attendant  and  sent  an  arrow 
straight  toward  the  stranger's  heart. 

But  Maya  saw  the  act.  Quick  as  thought 
she  leaped  in  front  of  her  husband  and 
received  the  shaft  upon  her  arm.  Clear 
through  the  flesh  it  went  and  the  arrow 
head  stood  out  upon  the  other  side. 

"No,  love,  it  pains  me  not,"  she  said  as 
she  saw  the  pitying  eyes  of  Sandoval  bend 
over  her.  And  she  broke  the  shaft  and 
drew  it  forth  and  whispered,  "I  am  not 
harmed." 

Meanwhile  the  followers  of  the  embassy 
had  drawn  their  bows  upon  the  rebel  chief 
and  Canek  was  compelled  to  take  refuge 


The  Embassy  1 1 1 

behind  his  warriors,  who  implored  him  to 
offend  no  further  a  deity  whom  he  could  not 
slay. 

Muttering  curses  and  threatening  ven 
geance  upon  the  king,  the  princess,  and  the 
pretended  god,  he  turned  with  his  follow 
ers  to  the  boats  and  departed  for  his  island 
city. 

Sandoval  sought  to  staunch  his  wife's 
wound  by  tearing  his  own  mantle  into 
shreds  and  binding  them  around  her  arm. 
But  he  was  awkward  and  unskilful.  The 
shaft  had  pierced  a  vein,  yet  he  wound  the 
cloth  above  and  not  below  the  place  where 
the  arrow  had  penetrated,  and  Maya  was 
soon  faint  from  loss  of  blood. 

"Wind  the  shreds  lower  down,"  she 
said  to  him.  She  spoke  low,  but  one  of  the 
nobles  heard  her,  and  the  words  sank  deep 
into  his  heart. 

Sandoval  blushed  with  confusion  at  his 
lack  of  skill.  His  companions  perceived  it 
and  could  not  help  wondering  why  a  god 
who  knew  all  things  had  not  from  the  very 
first  done  what  was  needful. 

The  princess  swooned.  Ever  and  anon 
when  his  voice  called  her  name  she  would 
open  her  great  eyes  and  look  upon  the  face 


ii2  Maya 

that  leaned  over  her  with  the  same  smile  of 
unutterable  tenderness  that  he  had  beheld 
when  he  first  saw  her  in  the  cavern  by  the 
pool ;  then  she  would  fall  as  into  sleep 
again.  They  placed  her  in  her  litter  to  bear 
her  home  and  Sandoval  walked  at  her  side, 
his  gaze  fixed  unalterably  upon  her  features. 
The  poor  exile  was  wretched  indeed,  forced 
as  he  was  to  keep  silence  while  his  one  hope 
lay  dying  within  the  litter. 

Whenever  the  bearers  set  it  down  he 
knelt  beside  it,  closed  the  curtains,  and 
pressed  a  kiss  on  her  cold  brow.  With  a 
powerful  effort  her  eyelids  would  unclose, 
she  would  look  upon  him  for  a  moment, 
and  in  a  low  voice  would  murmur,  "1  shall 
soon  be  well,"  and  then  would  smile  and 
sink  again  into  unconsciousness. 

At  last,  however,  she  rallied,  and  when 
evening  came  they  gave  her  wine  and  food. 
Sandoval  watched  at  her  side  all  night  ; 
and  saw  that  she  was  no  longer  in  a  swoon 
but  sleeping  quietly.  And  they  bore  her 
back  in  safety  to-  Mani,  where  the  king's 
physicians  tended  her  with  care  and  skill, 
till  the  wound  healed  and  she  grew  strong 
and  well  again. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

REPROOF — INSTRUCTION 

IN  the  meantime  the  news  of  what  had 
happened  spread  through  the  city  ;  and 
the  people,  though  they  were  well  pleased 
that  the  warriors  of  Peten-Itza  had  feared 
the  stranger  and  had  refused  to  stir  against 
him  even  at  the  command  of  their  own 
chief,  yet  all  were  greatly  distressed  at  the 
harm  that  had  befallen  the  princess,  and 
they  marvelled  that  a  god  who  knew  all 
things  and  could  do  all  things  should  have 
suffered  it. 

When  she  recovered,  Maya  was  called 
alone  into  the  presence  of  the  king  for 
warning  and  reproof. 

"Why  was  it,"  he  asked,  "that  thou, 
knowing  thy  husband  was  immortal, 
shouldst  fling  thyself  before  him  to  stay 
the  arrow  that  could  not  harm  him  ?  " 

And  Maya  answered  : 

8 

"3 


1 14  Maya 

"Father,  I  love  him  many  times  more 
than  my  life,  and  when  I  saw  the  arm  of 
Canek  lifted  against  him  I  thought  not 
whether  he  was  god  or  man.  I  saw  only 
the  arrow  and  my  husband.'* 

The  king  was  softened  by  the  answer 
of  his  daughter  and  proud  that  she  had  no 
fear.  So  he  said  : 

"  My  child,  I  understand  thee  ;  thou  hast 
the  heart  of  all  our  royal  line.  But  put  not 
again  thy  life  in  peril,  for  bethink  thee  thou 
canst  not  aid  thy  lord,  and  above  all  thou 
must  not  perish,  for  in  thee  is  the  hope  of 
my  people." 

Then  Maya  returned  to  her  husband  in 
the  temple. 

A  new  matter  now  claimed  her  attention. 
It  is  not  hard  to  see  how  inconvenient  it  was 
that  Maya  did  not  understand  the  Spanish 
language,  and  that  Sandoval  could  not 
speak  to  his  wife  in  the  presence  of  others 
in  the  Maya  tongue.  All  her  interpretations 
had  been  simply  the  creatures  of  her  fancy, 
and  it  must  be  clear  to  any  husband  what 
a  hardship  it  would  be  thus  to  live  help 
lessly  at  the  mercy  of  whatever  his  wife 
might  happen  to  say. 


Reproof— Instruction        1 1 5 

Sandoval  indeed  had  never  complained  of 
this,  but  it  was  Maya  herself  who  insisted 
that  she  ought  to  know  the  meaning  of  the 
unknown  words  he  spoke  to  her. 

So,  day  by  day  when  they  were  alone,  he 
taught  her  that  soft  speech  which,  like  the 
Spaniard's  smile,  has  oftentimes  so  well 
concealed  the  stern  and  cruel  thoughts  of 
those  who  uttered  it. 

Love  is  a  skilful  tutor,  and  the  girl  was 
soon  able  to  understand  and  even  to  answer 
in  rude  fashion  all  that  he  said.  What 
matter  if  the  sentences  were  not  grammati 
cal?  To  those  who  spoke  not  the  "  lan 
guage  of  the  gods  "  this  was  unknown  ;  if 
her  husband  could  catch  the  meaning  of  her 
words  that  was  enough,  for  from  his  lips 
she  feared  neither  laughter  nor  reproaches. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


THE   SPY 


REAT  was  the  dismay  at  Peten-Itza 
when  Canek  and  his  warriors  re 
turned.  He  called  together  his  counsellors, 
the  priests  and  the  elders  of  the  city,  to 
incite  them  to  vengeance,  but  those  who 
had  been  with  him  to  meet  the  embassy 
had  brought  back  such  tidings  of  the  strange 
god,  and  the  oracles  had  foretold  such  dire 
calamities  if  Peten-Itza  should  march  against 
the  king,  that  Canek  found  the  attempt  im 
possible.  He  must  pursue  his  revenge  by 
other  means  and  defer  his  dark  designs  until 
some  more  convenient  occasion.  So  for  the 
time  he  yielded  to  the  wish  of  his  people 
and  they  remained  at  home. 

There  was,  however,  within  the  city  one 
Bacab,  a  captive  taken  in  one  of  the  former 
wars  with  Ahpula.  whom  the  lord  of  Peten- 

116 


The  Spy  117 

Itza  had  spared  from  sacrifice.  Bacab  had 
a  deep  and  crafty  soul,  so  Canek  summoned 
him  to  a  secret  interview  and  laid  before 
him  his  purpose  of  revenge. 

"  Return,"  he  said,  "to  the  king's  court 
at  Mani,  for  I  will  make  thee  free.  Tell  him 
that  I  have  repented  and  that  thou  comest 
to  offer  him  my  submission  and  my  love. 
Then  seek  employment  in  some  temple  and 
lurk  upon  the  footsteps  of  this  strange  god 
and  his  bride  and  watch  their  doings.  I 
will  send  with  thee  trusted  messengers,  and 
if  they  can  fetch  me  such  tidings  as  will 
show  to  the  .king  that  the  stranger  is  no 
god,  I  will  come  to  Mani  with  my  warriors 
and  thou  shalt  confront  him  with  me  in  the 
king's  council.  Then  when  I  overthrow 
him  I  will  make  thee  a  noble  and  the  chief 
of  my  household  and  give  thee  one  of  my 
own  kindred  for  a  bride  and  a  great  dwell 
ing  and  a  garden  on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
where  thou  shalt  dwell  in  honour  all  thy 
days." 

Among  every  people  there  are  some  base 
souls  whose  faith  may  thus  be  bought. 
Bacab  took  the  tempting  offer  and  journeyed 
to  Mani,  where  he  was  welcomed  by  the 
king  and  his  counsellors.  Even  the  strange 


n8  Maya 

god  was  beguiled,  for  was  it  not  one  of  the 
kings'  own  subjects  who  had  brought  back 
the  message  ?  So  in  reward  for  his  good 
tidings  Bacab  was  appointed  by  Ahpula  to 
serve  as  one  of  the  priests  in  the  temple  of 
Echuah,  the  god  of  travellers  and  of  the 
merchants  who  journeyed  with  their  pre 
cious  wares  from  land  to  land  bringing  the 
gold  and  copper  and  opals  of  Mexico  in  ex 
change  for  the  delicate  embroideries  of  Yu 
catan.  To  this  god  great  deference  was 
paid  in  Mani,  since  the  prosperity  of  the  city 
was  largely  due  to  the  traffic  upon  which 
he  smiled.  His  shrine  was  near  the  temple 
of  the  Sun,  where  Maya  dwelt  with  her 
husband. 

One  brilliant  moonlight  night,  when  the 
whole  city  was  asleep,  Sandoval  and  his 
bride  walked  forth  together  upon  the  ter 
race  in  front  of  their  chamber  and  looked 
upon  the  gleaming  skies  above  them  and 
then  into  each  other's  eyes,  which  mirrored 
the  glory  of  the  heavens. 

Flinging  her  arms  around  the  neck  of  her 
husband,  Maya  broke  forth  into  passionate 
protestations  of  devotion.  Sandoval  sighed 
as  he  acknowledged  that  he  had  done  little 
to  deserve  the  wealth  of  affection  thus 


The  Spy  119 

lavished  upon  a  poor  castaway.  But  she 
replied  : 

"  Although  thou  art  not  the  deity  I  have 
declared  thee  and  though  thou  couldst  not 
heal  me  when  the  arrow  of  Canek  smote 
my  arm,  yet  for  this  do  I  cherish  thee  the 
more.  How  indeed  should  I  love  one  who 
had  no  need  of  my  affection  ?  How  should 
I  be  the  bride  of  a  god  who  could  not  suffer 
and  die  ?  " 

And  Sandoval  answered  :  "Too  much 
do  thy  words  prove.  Precious  as  thou  art 
in  the  eyes  of  thy  father  and  thy  people, 
thou  hast  little  need  of  a  poor  outcast  like 
me.  Yet  none  the  less  will  I  love  the  bright 
face  of  her  who  redeemed  me  from  the 
horrors  of  sacrifice  and  stooped  from  her 
high  station  to  become  my  bride." 

"Dol  not  need  thee?"  she  answered. 
"Nay,  the  world  would  be  a  desert  every 
hour  thou  wert  not  at  my  side."  And  their 
lips  came  together  and  her  heart  was  pressed 
to  his  bosom.  Then  they  retired  hand  in 
hand  to  their  chamber. 

That  night  as  they  lay  side  by  side  in  the 
richly  woven  hammock  within,  Sandoval 
slept,  yet  the  eyes  of  the  princess  were 
unclosed,  for  she  was  thinking  how  her 


120  Maya 

husband  should  lead  their  armies  as  the 
Nacon  of  the  king,  and  bring  back  the  tribes 
of  the  north  to  their  allegiance. 

Suddenly  from  a  dark  corner  of  the 
chamber,  there  came  a  rustling  sound,  and 
someone  who  had  crouched  there  in  silence 
stole  forth,  drew  aside  the  curtain,  and 
glided  stealthily  away.  She  could  see  the 
stars  gleam  through  the  doorway  as  he 
passed. 

She  leaped  to  the  ground  and  followed, 
but  when  she  went  forth  upon  the  terrace 
there  was  nothing — only  the  white  city  be 
low  and  the  shining  heavens  above.  And 
when  her  husband,  awakened  by  the  quick 
movement  at  his  side,  asked  what  had  be 
fallen  her,  she  told  him  and  added  : 

"It  must  have  been  Xibalba,  the  evil 
spirit,  'he  who  vanishes,'  for  he  has  dis 
appeared  like  a  mist  and  the  stars  shine  and 
all  is  well  again." 

Thus  she  spoke  to  comfort  him,  yet 
feared  in  her  own  heart  that  by  someone 
they  were  closely  watched  and  she  added  : 

"  Hereafter  when  we  talk  together,  let  it 
be  in  thine  own  tongue,  for  I  would  have 
no  prowler  at  our  side  to  report  the  things 
we  speak  of."  And  she  could  not  tell  what 


The  Spy 


121 


more  to  think  or  do,  nor  could  her  spouse, 
"the  god  who  knew  all  things,  even  the 
thoughts  of  men,"  say  aught  to  cheer  or 
counsel  her.  Through  the  long  night  she 
lay  awake  and  trouble  filled  her  breast. 


CHAPTER  XX 

REVENGE 

BUT  the  morning  was  bright  and  beau 
tiful,  her  fears  were  stilled  and  for 
many  days  thereafter  all  went  well  within 
the  city.  An  expedition  was  planned 
against  the  tribes  of  the  north  and  her  hus 
band  was  made  the  Nacon  to  command 
the  armies  of  the  king. 

Just  as  all  was  in  readiness  for  their  de 
parture,  a  messenger  arrived  to  say  that 
Canek  was  approaching  and  asked  to  meet 
the  king  in  council,  for  he  had  weighty 
matters  to  deliver. 

So  Ahpula  assembled  his  counsellors  un 
der  a  canopy  upon  the  terrace  before  the 
palace  door,  but  he  commanded  his  nobles 
to  come  armed  with  sword  and  spear,  for 
the  Nacon  had  warned  him  through  Maya's 
lips  of  coming  treachery.  And  the  king 


Revenge  123 

bade  Canek  approach  with  two  or  three  of 
his  chief  men,  no  more,  and  commanded 
that  they  should  lay  aside  their  weapons 
before  appearing  in  the  royal  presence. 

The  lord  of  Peten-Itza  was  filled  with 
wrath  at  the  mistrust  of  his  sovereign,  yet 
he  could  not  now  draw  back  nor  could  he 
say  that  arms  were  needful  to  one  who  was 
offering  friendship  and  allegiance.  So  he 
appeared  with  two  only  of  the  chief  men  of 
his  tribe.  But  those  about  the  king  saw 
with  wonder  that  the  priest  of  Echuah,  who 
had  disappeared  from  Mani  a  few  days 
before,  was  also  with  him. 

Canek  fell  to  the  earth  before  his  sov 
ereign. 

"Grant  forgiveness,  O  king,"  he  said, 
"for  my  rash  words  and  the  violence  I 
offered  to  thy  embassy.  So  greatly  did  I 
love  thee  that  my  heart  was  filled  with  bit 
terness  when  I  saw  that  the  bride  whom 
thou  hadst  promised  to  me  was  given  to 
another.  But  I  will  make  thee  full  atone 
ment,  for  I  come  as  thy  faithful  slave  to 
show  thee  how  thou  art  betrayed  even  in 
thine  own  household  and  to  save  thee  from 
the  shame  and  peril  that  surround  thee." 

Then   Canek   called   upon  the  priest  of 


124  Maya 

Echuah  and  bade  him  tell  all  that  had  hap 
pened  on  the  night  when  he  lurked  in  the 
chamber  of  the  temple  and  heard  the  pre 
tended  god  conversing  with  his  bride.  He 
told  how  they  had  confessed  in  secret  that 
the  stranger  was  no  god  at  all,  and  could 
not  heal  the  king's  daughter  of  her  wound, 
and  that  she  had  wedded  him  from  pity, 
proclaiming  him  to  be  the  thing  he  was  not, 
and  had  stooped  from  her  high  station  to 
become  his  bride. 

Those  who  heard  the  story  were  dumb 
with  astonishment.  Silence  fell  even  upon 
the  lips  of  the  Nacon,  for  he  knew  not  what 
to  answer.  But  Maya  herself  stood  forth 
and  spoke  unbidden,  and  she  asked  : 

"Wilt  thou,  O  king,  believe  the  tale  of  a 
base  spy,  who  lurked  within  the  chamber 
of  the  temple  and  vanished  like  the  evil 
one?" 

But  the  king  answered,  "Why  is  thy 
god  silent  ?  Why  could  he  not  heal  thee 
of  thy  wound?" 

And  Canek  cried,  "Nay,  let  us  try  him 
here.  Let  him  lay  his  sword  aside  and  do 
thou  give  me  thine,  O  king,  and  if  he  fall 
not,  let  me  be  offered  to  the  gods  in  sacri 
fice!  If  he  be  immortal  I  cannot  harm  him, 


Revenge  125 

but  if  he  bleed,  let  his  own  heart  smoke 
upon  the  altar! " 

Then  Maya  spoke  to  her  father  again  : 
"Bitter  will  be  thy  punishment  if  thou 
shalt  suffer  one  of  thy  vassals  thus  to  make 
trial  of  a  god." 

But  the  king  answered  her:  "Out  of 
thine  own  device  hast  thou  spoken,  not  at 
thy  lord's  command.  Let  it  be  as  Canek 
says." 

Then  the  nobles  took  away  the  Nacon's 
sword  and  the  king  offered  his  own  to  the 
old  chief. 

"Nay!"  cried  Maya,  as  she  sprang  be 
tween  them.  "Not  against  the  god  but 
against  thyself  will  he  lift  it  !  " 

Now  the  king  faltered  and  doubted  what 
he  should  do.  But  the  Nacon  was  un 
armed  and  Canek  saw  his  opportunity. 
Drawing  from  his  girdle  a  sharp  knife 
which  was  hidden  in  its  folds,  before  Maya 
saw  his  purpose  (for  her  face  was  toward 
the  king  and  she  was  thinking  only  of  the 
sword)  he  leaped  like  a  tiger  upon  the 
stranger  and  thrust  the  keen  blade  into  his 
shoulder. 

The  Spaniard  with  one  blow  felled  his 
assailant  to  the  ground,  yet  even  while 


126 


Maya 


Canek  writhed  at  the  king's  feet  he  shrieked 
in  triumph:  "See  !  He  bleeds  !  If  he  be 
indeed  a  god  now  let  him  heal  himself  ! " 

The  impostor  was  unveiled.    The  victory 
of  Peten-ltza  was  complete. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


RELEASE 


was  the  king's  shame  and 
greater  was  his  anger.  "  Let  the 
false  god  be  seized,"  he  cried,  "and  bind 
him  for  sacrifice.  As  for  the  daughter  who 
has  betrayed  me,  let  her  be  kept  within  the 
penance  chamber  of  the  cloister  of  Ixnacan 
Katun,  until  her  fate  shall  be  decided,  and 
let  none  see  her  save  her  guard." 

Upon  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza  he  bestowed 
rich  gifts  and  promised  to  grant  whatever 
the  old  chief  might  ask. 

The  crafty  soul  of  Canek  was  pitiless  in 
vengeance. 

"Let  the  king  grant,"  he  said,  "that  I 
may  take  the  Nacon's  place  and  lead  his 
troops  against  the  people  of  the  north.  And 
when  they  are  subdued  and  we  return  in 
triumph,  let  me  with  mine  own  hand 
127 


128  Maya 

(though  there  is  little  honour  in  the  deed) 
sacrifice  this  false  god  to  our  offended  dei 
ties,  and  at  the  same  festival  do  thou  bring 
forth  thy  daughter,  and,  commanding  her 
that  she  eat  with  me  the  meat  of  the  sacri 
fice,  do  thou  bestow  her  upon  me  as  my 
wife.  1  will  know  how  to  keep  her  so  that 
she  will  not  betray  me." 

And  saying  this,  a  soft  smile  stole  over 
his  hideous  face. 

And  the  king  answered:  "  Go  forth  then 
as  the  Nacon  of  my  army,  for  I  know  thy 
skill  in  battle,  and  I  doubt  not  thou  wilt  re 
turn  in  honour  and  triumph.  And  the  false 
god  must  indeed  be  sacrificed  by  the  Na- 
con's  hand,  for  this  is  his  appointed  duty. 
But  let  not  Maya  taste  the  food  of  sacrifice, 
nor  wilt  thou  find  it  a  light  task  to  take  her 
with  thee  as  thy  bride." 

And  Canek  replied:  "Only  deliver  her 
into  my  hands  and,  old  as  I  am,  I  will  find 
some  gentle  way  to  persuade  her." 

And  his  eyes  glittered  with  the  hope  of 
his  revenge. 

So  Canek  led  the  armies  of  the  king 
against  the  tribes  of  the  north,  and  in  two 
months  they  returned  laden  with  booty  and 
bringing  many  captives. 


Release  129 

Then  a  great  feast  was  ordained  and  San- 
doval  was  brought  forth  with  the  prisoners 
on  the  appointed  day  and  Maya  too  was 
bidden  to  the  festival.  During  her  captivity 
she  had  seen  no  friendly  face  ;  she  knew 
not  what  was  to  be  her  doom,  nor  had  she 
heard  aught  of  the  fate  of  her  beloved. 

One  treasure,  however,  had  she  kept  to 
comfort  her.  In  the  struggle  between 
Canek  and  Sandoval  the  knife  that  had 
wounded  her  husband  had  fallen  to  the 
floor  close  to  her  feet.  She  had  plucked  it 
from  the  earth  and  hidden  it,  and  none  had 
seen  her  at  a  time  when  all  eyes  were  upon 
the  old  chief  as  he  lay  writhing  on  the 
ground  reviling  the  pretended  god — and  the 
knife  she  kept  (it  was  a  small  one)  wound 
among  the  tresses  of  her  hair,  and  cherished 
it  above  all  other  things. 

When  they  brought  her  forth,  clothed  in 
festal  garments,  her  face  was  very  sad,  but 
her  eyes  gleamed  and  her  spirit  was  un 
shaken.  She  saw  the  preparations  for  the 
festival.  Her  husband  stood  a  little  way 
off  with  the  other  captives  bound  and  ready 
for  sacrifice,  so  she  knew  well  the  fate  that 
was  in  store  for  him.  And  when  the  king 
came  with  Canek  and  she  saw  that  the 


1 30  Maya 

chief  of  Peten-ltza  had  anointed  with  blood 
the  long  hair  bound  around  his  head,  then 
she  knew  that  it  was  by  his  hand  her  hus 
band  was  to  die. 

But  when  her  father  told  her  that  she  was 
to  become  the  wife  of  the  old  chief,  she 
stepped  back  a  little,  so  that  no  one  could 
stay  her.  Then  she  drew  forth  the  dagger. 

"Dost  thou  dream,"  she  said,  "that  for 
a  single  hour  I  would  survive  the  sacrifice 
of  my  lord  ?  Dost  thou  fancy  that  I  would 
live  one  moment  as  the  bride  of  his  mur 
derer  ?  Nay,  come  not  near,  or  at  one  blow 
shall  perish  the  hope  of  thy  royal  line.  Wilt 
thou  have  me  slay  also  the  child  whose  heart 
beats  under  mine  ?  Then  shalt  thou  be  in 
deed  the  last  of  thy  race  and  thy  kingdom 
will  be  scattered  among  strangers.  For  my 
dagger  shall  not  be  put  aside  till  thou  hast 
freed  my  husband  from  his  bonds  and  given 
me  thy  royal  word  that  he  may  go  forth  in 
peace  and  that  I  may  follow  him." 

Now  behind  Ahpula  stood  the  queen- 
mother,  who  plucked  his  robe  and  besought 
him  to  speak  with  her,  for  she  feared  that 
he  might  suddenly  advance  to  the  place 
where  Maya  stood,  and  she  knew  well  that 
this  would  be  the  end.  And  she  said  : 


Release  1 3 1 

"  Bethink  thee,  my  lord,  we  must  not 
lose  our  child.  Long  years  have  I  watched 
over  her  and  loved  her,  and  she  was  ever 
the  pride  of  thine  own  heart.  Hard  was  it 
when  at  thy  command  I  spoke  not  with 
her,  nor  looked  upon  her  face  during  her 
long  gloomy  days  in  prison.  Yet  thou  didst 
will  it  and  I  obeyed.  Yet  now,  sweet  lord, 
we  must  not  see  her  perish.  Thou  must 
pardon  her  and  the  stranger  whom  she 
loves,  and  set  him  free." 

Now,  deeply  as  the  king  was  offended  at 
his  daughter,  she  had  been,  as  the  mother 
said,  the  pride  of  his  heart,  and  now  he 
loved  her  perhaps  the  more  for  the  fearless 
ness  with  which  she  had  defied  him.  He 
would  see  her  punished  for  her  transgres 
sion,  but  he  would  not  have  her  die. 

Yet  he  could  not  grant  her  request  and 
release  the  victim  who  had  been  dedicated 
to  the  gods,  without  a  conference  with  the 
high-priest  and  with  the  lord  of  Peten-Itza. 
So  when  he  had  withdrawn  with  them 
alone  into  his  own  chamber  for  a  parley,  the 
high-priest  indeed  consented,  for  he  had 
been  the  instructor  of  Maya's  childhood  and 
he  loved  her.  He  said  that  however  great 
had  been  her  sacrilege,  the  gods  themselves 


i}2  Maya 

best  knew  how  to  punish  it,  and  that  Maya 
must  not  die  while  there  was  no  heir  to  the 
throne. 

With  Canek  the  case  was  different. 
Though  he  now  realised  that  Maya  would 
never  become  his  wife,  yet  he  was  stub 
born  in  his  thirst  for  vengeance  upon  the 
man  who  had  robbed  him  of  his  betrothed. 
Still  there  were  motives  of  policy  which 
withheld  him  from  his  prey.  The  object 
for  which  he  had  sought  the  hand  of  the 
king's  daughter  had  been  that  he  might 
gain  the  regency,  to  which  he  would  be  en 
titled  at  the  monarch's  death.  The  king 
was  a  younger  man  than  he,  it  is  true. 
"But,"  thought  the  crafty  lord,  "he  will 
not  live  long  after  an  heir  is  born."  For 
Canek  had  learned  much  from  a  great  magi 
cian  concerning  the  use  of  poisons,  how  to 
place  them  upon  sharp-pointed  twigs  in 
treacherous  pitfalls  along  the  paths,  how  to 
secrete  them  in  water  jars,  or  even  to  pour 
them  into  the  senotes,  so  that  those  who 
might  drink  should  not  know  what  it  was 
that  made  them  sicken  and  die.  And  the 
chief  said  : 

"O  king,  if  thou  sufferest  them  to  de 
part  together,  let  thy  daughter  first  swear 


Release  133 

that  she  will  send  her  child,  when  he  is 
weaned,  back  to  thy  court.  Then  will  I 
come  to  Mani  and  adopt  him  as  my  own 
and  be  his  father,  for  was  not  thy  daughter 
first  promised  to  me,  and  is  not  that  my 
right  ?  And  shouldst  thou  die  before  the 
child  come  to  manhood  let  it  be  ordained 
that  I  shall  reign  in  thy  stead  and  the  child 
after  me." 

And  the  king  answered,  "So  shall  it 
be." 

Thus  Peten-Itza  stifled  his  revenge,  but 
said  to  himself  : 

"  It  is  only  for  a  time.  When  I  am  ruler 
the  altar  shall  smoke  with  their  blood  !  " 


CHAPTER    XXII 

EXILE 

THEREUPON  the  king  came  forth  and 
proclaimed  that  Maya  and  her  lord 
might  depart  together  from  the  city,  but 
that  they  must  dwell  far  from  the  homes 
of  men,  nor  seek  longer  to  abide  with  the 
people  they  had  betrayed,  and  that  when 
her  child  was  weaned  it  should  be  sent  to 
the  royal  court  to  be  brought  up  as  the  heir 
to  the  throne. 

Maya  promised  all,  for  she  was  eager  to 
save  the  life  of  her  husband,  and  being  not 
yet  a  mother  she  knew  not  how  hard  it 
would  be  to  keep  her  word.  So  Sandoval 
was  released  from  his  bonds  and  Maya's 
maidens  gathered  around  their  mistress  to 
bid  her  farewell,  and  she  asked: 

"  Will  none  go  with  us  in  our  exile  ?  " 
And  many  answered,  each  one  saying  : 
134 


Exile  135 

"I  will  follow  thee,"  for  they  loved  her 
greatly. 

She  chose  from  among  them  her  best 
beloved,  and  the  king  also  sent  as  their  at 
tendants  a  few  of  his  most  trusted  men,  for 
he  would  know  whither  the  exiles  were 
gone  and  see  that  they  were  watched  and 
tended  in  their  solitude. 

They  counselled  together  as  to  the  place 
where  they  should  dwell  and  Maya  said  : 

"  In  Uxmal,  the  city  of  my  fathers,  let  us 
make  our  home,  for  there  there  are  stately 
dwellings,  long  deserted,  and  in  them  we 
may  live  together  as  becomes  a  king's 
daughter  and  her  lord.  Our  love  will  grow 
the  greater  in  solitude,  until  perchance  upon 
some  happier  day  we  may  return,  and  thou 
again  become  the  leader  of  my  people." 

And  Sandoval  answered  :  "Whether  we 
dwell  in  a  palace  or  in  the  wilderness, 
wherever  thou  art  it  will  be  paradise." 

Before  the  sacrifices  had  been  celebrated 
they  left  the  city.  They  were  glad  to 
escape  the  gloomy  rites,  for  Maya  abhorred 
as  deeply  as  her  husband  the  immolation 
of  human  victims,  and  the  hearts  of  her 
maidens  also  shrank  from  scenes  of  suffer 
ing  and  death. 


1 36  Maya 

Maya  told  her  followers  that  their  course 
should  be  toward  Uxmal  and  by  way  of 
Kabah  —  another  deserted  city  —  for  from 
Kabah  to  Uxmal  there  was  a  causeway, 
which  had  been  the  king's  highroad,  and 
was  easier  to  travel  than  the  forest  paths, 
though  there  were  obstructions  here  and 
there,  for  sad  had  been  the  havoc  wrought 
by  hurricanes  and  warring  tribes  since 
Mayapan  had  fallen. 

Upon  the  third  day  they  came  to  Kabah, 
and  Sandoval  wandered  with  Maya  among 
the  lofty  buildings  that  were  falling  to  de 
cay,  with  the  long  roots  of  elms  winding 
around  their  masonry.  They  sat  beneath 
the  great  arch  way,  and  walked  in  front  of 
the  facades*,  that  were  sculptured  as  lux 
uriantly  as  the  temples  of  Mother  India 
herself ;  they  examined  the  stuccos  of  strug 
gling  eagles  within  the  halls  and  the  col 
umns  of  sapote  wood  carved  with  grotesque 
figures  beside  the  doorways  ;  they  stood 
before  a  majestic  building  three  stories  high, 
where  long  rows  of  chambers  upon  the 
upper  floors  were  approached  by  a  broad 
exterior  stairway  of  stone,  a  building  which 
seemed  to  Sandoval  one  of  the  noblest 
structures  he  had  ever  beheld.  Maya  said 


Exile  137 

nothing  but  seemed  lost  in  reverie,  as  if  she 
were  overcome  by  some  unhappy  memory, 
and  he  asked  the  cause  of  her  sadness. 

"This  city,"  she  answered,  "was  the 
first  abode  of  treason.  In  Kabah  dwelt  the 
Dwarf  who  stirred  the  embers  of  revolt 
against  our  royal  house.  Shall  I  tell  thee 
the  story?" 

Sandoval  was  eager  to  hear  it  and  she 
thus  began  : 


CHAPTER    XXIII 


AHCUNAL 

"  T^HE  Mayas  lived  for  many  generations 
1  in  prosperity  under  the  Tutul  Xius. 
Nohpat  was  the  last  king  who  dwelt  in 
Uxmal.  He  reigned  in  splendour  and  his 
people  loved  him,  yet  no  matter  how  joy 
ous  the  occasion,  he  never  smiled  ;  and 
men  wondered  at  his  secret  grief. 

"  There  was  an  ancient  prophecy  that  in 
a  certain  year  the  sound  of  a  silver  tunkul* 
would  be  heard  throughout  the  land  in 
harmony  with  the  tinkling  of  a  silver  ^oot,\ 
that  this  was  to  be  the  signal  of  the  mon 
arch's  fall,  and  that  he  who  had  made  the 
sound  would  sit  upon  the  monarch's  throne. 
Nohpat  knew  that  the  time  was  drawing 
near  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy. 
"  Here  in  Kabah  he  built  the  palace  upon 

*  A  wooden  drum  much  used  in  the  Maya  festivals, 
f  A  musical  bell. 

138 


Ahcunal  1 39 

which  we  are  now  gazing  ;  he  walked  in 
the  cool  shadow  of  the  garden,  he  bathed 
in  the  clear  waters  of  the  pool  and  strove 
to  forget  his  doom,  but  the  thought  sat 
ever  at  his  side  that  he  was  to  be  the  last 
king  of  his  line  who  should  rule  in  Uxmal. 

"In  Kabah  dwelt  a  woman,  poor  and 
old,  but  honoured  for  her  wisdom  and  her 
knowledge  of  hidden  things.  She  was  a 
widow  and  of  her  descendants  one  only 
survived,  her  grandson,  a  dwarf,  crippled 
in  body,  but  crafty  and  of  a  daring  spirit. 
Men  called  him  the  Diviner,  Ahcunal. 

"Now  the  widow  knew  the  prophecy 
and  she  had  kept  for  many  years  the  magi 
cal  instruments  by  which  it  was  to  be  ac 
complished,  but  she  feared  to  bring  them 
forth,  for  the  gods  had  foretold  that  he 
who  won  the  throne  should  be  accursed. 
So  she  buried  her  treasures  and  told  no  one 
of  the  place  where  they  were  hidden. 

"  Ahcunal  guessed  that  his  grandmother 
had  a  secret,  for  he  noticed  that  she  spent 
her  days  in  meditation  crouched  in  a  corner 
of  her  cabin  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  a  large 
stone  in  the  middle  of  the  hearth. 

"At  first  he  could  not  understand  her 
conduct,  but  Xibalba,  the  evil  spirit,  floating 


140  Maya 

into  the  cabin  at  night,  whispered  to  him 
in  dreams  that  there  was  a  treasure  under 
that  stone. 

"  The  old  woman  went  forth  every  morn 
ing  to  the  city  well  for  water  and  to  the 
market  for  food,  but  always  returned 
quickly  lest  someone  should  search  the 
cabin  while  she  was  away.  One  morning 
Ahcunal  made  a  little  hole  in  the  jar  which 
she  carried  upon  her  shoulder  so  that  the 
water  would  spill  to  the  ground  and  she 
must  remain  to  stop  the  leak.  Scarcely  had 
she  left  the  hut  when,  pushing  away  the 
fire  and  cinders,  he  raised  the  stone  and 
found  beneath  it  the  two  silver  instruments, 
both  very  old  and  beautiful.  The  Dwarf 
knew  nothing  of  the  prophecy,  and  with 
out  a  thought  he  beat  the  tunkul  and  he 
shook  the  %pot  until  the  sound  was  heard 
through  all  the  cities  of  the  land  even  to  the 
mountains  beyond  Uxmal. 

"  The  king  upon  his  throne  listened  and 
trembled  ;  then  he  asked  counsel  of  the 
priests  about  him  and  they  brought  forth 
the  records  of  the  prophecy.  It  may  be 
they  owed  Nohpat  an  ill  turn,  for  they  gave 
him  strange  advice.  They  told  him  that 
the  only  way  whereby  he  might  avoid  his 


Ahcunal  141 

impending  doom  was  by  calling  upon  the 
Dwarf  to  undergo  with  him  a  new  and 
singular  ordeal.  Each  was  to  cause  sf<2JUL 
baskets  of  palm  nuts  to  be  broken  success 
ively  over  the  head  of  the  other,  and  when 
either  fell  so  that  he  could  rise  no  more, 
the  survivor  was  to  have  the  kingdom. 
So  Nohpat  gave  the  challenge  and  Ahcunal 
accepted  it,  for  he  counted  upon  the  skill 
of  his  grandmother  to  protect  him  ;  and  he 
did  not  reckon  in  vain.  She  rubbed  upon 
his  head  an  invisible  plaster  of  obsidian 
powder  so  hard  as  to  defy  the  sharpest 
blows. 

"The  champions  met  at  the  appointed 
place,  a  basket  filled  with  palm  nuts  was 
placed  upon  the  head  of  the  Diviner,  and  a 
strong  warrior  chosen  by  the  king  seized  a 
club  of  stone  and  beat  upon  it  with  all  his 
force.  xFour  times  were  fruit  and  basket 
shattered  but  the  Dwarf  suffered  no  harm. 
Then  Nohpat  came  down  from  his  seat  to 
submit  to  the  same  ordeal,  but  at  the  first 
blow  he  fell  lifeless  to  the  earth,  and  Ah 
cunal  was  carried  to  the  throne. 

"At  first  the  new  king  reigned  wisely. 
He  refused  to  dwell  in  the  palace  of  the 
Tutul  Xius  and  converted  that  vast  structure 


142  Maya 

into  the  great  hall  of  justice.  For  himself 
he  built  a  small  but  beautiful  house  which 
stood  upon  a  steep  and  lofty  pyramid  and 
overlooked  the  temple  where  dwelt  the 
virgins  of  the  Sun  ;  and  for  the  old  enchant 
ress  he  erected  another  building,  upon  a 
high  mound  a  little  distance  off.  She  put 
the  new  king  under  the  protection  of  Kine- 
hahau,  "The  Child  of  the  Sun,"  whose 
image  was  worshipped  in  the  chief  temples 
of  the  city,  and  she  warned  him  that  the 
god  would  cease  to  smile  upon  him  if  he 
failed  to  bring  happiness  to  the  people. 
Ahcunal  promised  her  everything,  but 
when  after  a  few  years  she  died,  he  forgot 
the  lessons  she  had  planted  in  his  mind  and 
became  the  slave  of  his  own  passions.  He 
violated  the  sanctity  of  the  vestals  and 
turned  their  temple  into  an  abode  of  de 
bauchery.  At  last  the  god  forsook  him  ; 
one  night  a  great  noise  was  heard  in  the 
temple  of  Kinehahau,  and  the  next  day  it 
was  found  that  the  image  of  the  deity  had 
disappeared. 

"But  the  Dwarf  promised  his  nobles 
that  he  would  put  in  the  place  of  the  van 
ished  deity  a  still  more  powerful  god.  He 
called  together  his  most  skilful  workmen 


Ahcunal  143 

and  commanded  them  to  make  for  him  a 
wooden  idol,  saying  that  he  would  give  life 
to  it  so  that  it  might  be  placed  in  the  flames 
and  they  would  have  no  power  to  harm  it. 
The  image  was  finished,  but  scarcely  had 
it  been  touched  by  the  fire  before  it  was 
consumed.  Then  Ahcunal  made  a  statue 
of  stone,  but  it  crumbled  with  the  heat 
into  a  mass  of  lime.  Then  the  king  called 
together  the  potters  and  commanded  them 
to  make  a  god  of  clay.  This  remained  long 
in  the  fiery  element  and  then  stirred  with 
life,  and  the  people  fell  upon  the  earth  to 
worship  it,  for  the  Diviner  had  brought 
the  spirit  of  evil  into  the  new  god. 

"Then  another  wonder  followed.  One 
night  all  the  gods  of  Uxmal  disappeared, 
and  as  they  went  they  cursed  the  king  and 
the  city  ;  and  Ahcunal  filled  their  places 
with  images  of  clay  and  to  these  the  people 
gave  divine  honour  until  the  dwellers  in 
Uxmal  became  known  as  Kuul-Katob  or 
the  worshippers  of  clay  idols. 

"But  the  king  had  loaded  his  subjects 
with  such  burdens  that  loud  murmurs 
rose  and  at  last  the  men  of  the  provinces 
marched  against  Uxmal  to  overthrow  the 
hated  Dwarf.  The  city  was  taken  and 


144  Maya 

given  over  to  spoil  and  carnage,  the  Di 
viner  perished  on  the  threshold  of  his  own 
palace,  which  he  defended  with  desperate 
courage,  and  the  dynasty  of  the  Tutul  Xius 
was  again  restored. 

"But  the  people  of  Uxmal  would  no 
longer  dwell  in  a  capital  which  had  been 
cursed  and  abandoned  by  the  gods.  So 
they  moved  the  seat  of  government  to 
Mayapan,  which  had  long  before  been 
wrested  from  the  Cocomes.  The  great 
city  was  rebuilt,  and  for  a  time  the  dynasty 
was  re-established  in  all  its  power. 

"  But  when  evil  is  once  planted,  even 
though  the  first  crop  be  swept  away, 
many  seeds  remain  which  bring  forth  in 
time  a  plentiful  harvest  of  suffering.  The 
wicked  deeds  of  the  Dwarf  were  the  be 
ginnings  of  the  sorrow  which  has  fallen 
upon  our  kingdom. 

"Thou  canst  not  wonder,  therefore, 
that  I  look  with  sadness  upon  the  place 
whence  sprang  the  parent  of  that  brood 
of  ills." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


LEGENDS 

AND  now  the  two  exiles  with  their  at 
tendants  followed  the  causeway  that 
led  from  Kabah  to  Uxmal.  There  were  no 
horses  nor  wheeled  vehicles  in  those  days 
and  this  road  had  been  built  for  those  who 
went  afoot,  for  travellers  and  soldiers,  for 
the  runners  of  the  king,  for  the  men  who 
carried  litters,  and  for  the  merchants  with 
their  trains  of  burden  bearers.  It  was  eight 
feet  in  breadth  and  was  laid  in  white  smooth 
stones,  lifted  a  little  above  the  land  around 
it,  and  the  people  called  it  Sacbey,  ''The 
Great  Road." 

The  journey  to  Uxmal  was  not  a  long 
one.  Proceeding  in  leisurely  fashion,  two 
days  were  ample  for  its  accomplishment. 
Indeed  even  a  few  hours  had  been  enough 
for  the  king's  couriers  when  fetching  news 

IO 

145 


146  Maya 

for  the  monarch  or  bearing  his  commands 
to  the  subject  city. 

Now  for  the  first  time  Sandoval  and  Maya 
began  to  enjoy  together  the  wonders  of  the 
Yucatecan  forest.  On  the  embassy  to  Peten- 
Itza  they  had  been  borne  in  litters  apart  from 
one  another,  but  now  the  Spaniard  was 
no  longer  a  god,  but  an  exile,  and  could 
share  with  his  bride  the  simple  joys  of  the 
wilderness.  So  much  better  is  it  to  be  a 
man  than  a  deity  ! 

So  he  and  Maya,  loitering  behind  their 
attendants,  listened  to  the  hum  of  insect  life 
and  to  the  multitudinous  voices  of  the  forest 
birds. 

"From  these,"  said  Maya,  "did  my 
people  learn  their  music  and  the  songs  of 
the  harvest,  while  the  bees  humming  amid 
the  blossoms  taught  them  how  sweet 
and  honourable  was  daily  toil.  Proud  is  the 
warrior  with  his  dancing  plume,  but  just  as 
honourable  the  husbandman  who  hoes  his 
milpa  and  gathers  the  corn  ;  and  in  the  bright 
generations  of  our  golden  age  the  wars 
were  few  and  the  harvests  were  plentiful. 
There  were  no  walls  or  turrets  for  defence, 
for  none  assailed,  and  the  skilful  workman 
was  honoured  alike  with  the  chief. 


Legends  147 

"  Listen  to  that  song,"  she  added,  as  an 
oriole  above  them  poured  all  his  soul  into 
the  melody  he  sang  to  the  mother  bird  who 
was  hovering  above  their  hanging  nest. 
"Couldst  thou  sing  a  strain  more  tender 
and  affectionate?" 

And  as  they  listened  to  the  notes,  now 
high  and  clear,  now  soft  and  low,  with  the 
mother  bird  answering  quietly  and  the  little 
ones  chirping  while  the  breadwinner  went 
forth  and  returned  with  some  new  morsel, 
Maya  continued  : 

''Above  all  birds  I  love  the  oriole,  for  its 
destiny  is  bound  forever  with  mine  own. 
When  I  was  yet  a  babe  only  a  few  days 
old,  the  high-priest  brought  me  to  the  tem 
ple.  There  he  burned  upon  the  altar  fra 
grant  twigs  and  leaves  and  blossoms  and 
then  laid  me  naked  upon  the  white  ashes, 
which  my  tiny  form  pressed  till  they  were 
smooth  :  then  he  bore  me  away  and  the 
next  day  came  again  to  see  what  mark  of 
living  creature  was  upon  the  ashes.  For 
whatever  he  should  find,  whether  beast  or 
bird  or  crawling  thing,  with  that  being  my 
own  fate  was  to  be  forever  joined.  In  its 
joys  would  I  find  my  happiness  ;  if  it  lan 
guished  I  should  be  filled  with  sorrow,  and 


148  Maya 

in  the  hour  of  its  death  my  soul  should  also 
enter  the  land  of  shadows.  And  when  the 
priest  came  again,  he  found  the  foot-prints 
of  an  oriole.  Therefore  I  know  well  that 
somewhere  lives  the  bright  bird  with  black 
and  yellow  plumes,  whose  life  shall  bear 
the  burden  of  my  destiny.  Somewhere  in 
the  forest  she  and  her  mate  are  singing  now 
together.  And  if  I  die,  it  is  into  her  form 
that  Ixtab  shall  change  me,  so  that  I  may 
sing  to  thee  till  thou  thyself  shalt  come." 

And  after  a  pause  she  added  quietly  : 

"  But  well  I  know  no  bird  ever  loved  its 
mate  as  I  love  thee." 

Thus  talking  they  fared  through  the  forest 
over  the  shining  road.  The  blue  eyes  and 
the  black  came  often  together  in  their 
glances,  and  their  joy  was  perfect. 

Suddenly  Sandoval  started  and  drew 
back  amazed.  Across  the  pathway  lay 
stretched  beneath  their  feet  a  mighty  ser 
pent  glistening  in  the  sunlight.  Its  neck 
was  long  and  slender  and  its  graceful  head 
was  swaying  to  and  fro.  Black  it  was 
above  and  at  its  sides  there  fell  deep  streak- 
ings  as  if  some  dark  fluid  had  been  poured 
upon  its  back,  while  its  belly  was  the  colour 
of  the  red-ripe  orange.  Beautiful  it  was, 


Legends  149 

with  its  thick  body  and  its  tapering  tail,  but 
to  Sandoval  it  seemed  hateful,  and  he  seized 
from  the  wayside  a  strong  sapling  to  de 
stroy  it. 

"Nay,"  said  Maya,  "it  will  not  harm 
thee,"  and  she  stooped  and  lifted  it  from 
the  path,  stroking  its  neck  until  it  lay  quiet 
upon  her  shoulder,  with  its  long  form  coiled 
around  her  waist. 

"There  are,  indeed,"  she  said,  "serpents 
within  the  jungle  that  bring  certain  death 
to  all  they  strike.  Such  thou  mayst  well 
destroy,  but  the  things  that  harm  us  not, 
why  should  we  slay  them  ?" 

A  little  farther  on  they  heard  a  plaintive 
murmur,  and  upon  the  topmost  bough  of  a 
small  tree  there  perched  a  dove,  Cucutcib, 
cooing  for  her  mate.  And  Maya  said  : 

"Look  at  that  curving  neck!  Some 
times  indeed  I  think  she  seems  more  tender 
and  faithful  than  my  oriole,  but  she  is 
jealous  of  her  love  and  once  she  left  her 
nest  because  she  doubted  him.  Dost  thou 
know  the  story  ?  " 

Sandoval  had  not  heard  it,  so  Maya  told 
the  tale  as  it  had  been  sung  by  the  poets  of 
her  people  : 

"A   faithful   wife   had    been    Cucutcib, 


150  Maya 

brooding  over  the  tiny  eggs  in  her  soft 
nest.  Then  came  the  artful  squirrel,  toss 
ing  his  beautiful  tail,  and  he  climbed  up  to 
a  bending  twig  close  to  the  quiet  bird. 

"  '  My  friend/  he  asked,  '  why  wilt  thou 
always  stay  unsociably  at  home,  and  never 
join  us  when  we  make  the  forest  merry 
with  our  gambols  ? ' 

"'My  mate  is  absent,'  answered  the 
dove;  'I  must  not  leave  the  nest  till  he  re 
turns.' 

"  'A  pretty  mate  is  thine,  forsaken  bird ! ' 
answered  the  crafty  squirrel.  '  I  saw  him 
to-day  in  a  green  ceiba,  and  he  was  wooing 
another  ! ' 

"Stung  by  these  poisoned  words,  the  dove 
forsook  her  nest  and  flew  to  the  great  tree, 
but  she  found  not  her  mate,  and  when  she 
returned  the  frail  eggs  were  shattered,  for 
the  squirrel  had  devoured  them  and  the 
shells  were  strewn  upon  the  ground.  Then 
the  heart  of  the  poor  mother  was  filled 
with  despair  and  she  moaned  in  her  sorrow 
'  Cuuc-tu-tu^en,' — 'the  squirrel  has  de 
ceived  me' — and  this  is  now  her  cry  for- 
evermore.* 

"But  think  not,"  said  Maya,  "that,  like 

*  See  Le  Plongeon,  Here  and  There  in  Yucatan. 


Legends  151 

the  dove,  I  would  doubt  thy  faith,  or  leave 
thy  home  and  little  ones." 

They  walked  on  together  far  into  the 
night.  The  air  was  balmy  and  it  was  late 
when  they  swung  their  hammocks  from 
the  trees. 

Not  far  away  they  could  see  the  lofty 
dwellings  and  temples  of  Uxmal.  The 
moon  was  shining  clear  and  cold  full  in  the 
face  of  the  great  palace  where  Maya's  fore 
fathers  had  reigned  for  many  generations. 

This  noble  edifice  appeared  to  Sandoval 
even  more  impressive  and  stately  than  the 
great  mosque  of  his  own  Cordova.  It  did 
not  cover  the  same  vast  area,  but  it  had  the 
advantage  of  a  lofty  position  upon  the  sum 
mit  of  three  successive  mounds,  rising  one 
above  another.  And  its  gleaming  wall  was 
surmounted  by  a  gorgeously  decorated  cor 
nice,  where  grecques,  masks,  statues,  and 
bass-reliefs  were  thrown  together  in  con 
fused  luxuriance. 

"  Dost  thou  wonder,"  said  the  rich  voice 
at  his  side,  "that  I  treasure  the  memory  of 
the  city  of  my  fathers  ?  If  Canek  had 
not  betrayed  us  —  here  should  we  have 
reigned." 

And  Sandoval  sighed,  thinking  of  the  fair 


152 


Maya 


days  that  might  have  been  ;  then  looking 
upon  the  beautiful  face  at  his  side,  he 
answered  : 

"  But  just  as  precious  will  be  a  quiet  life 
with  thee  alone." 

And  she  answered  with  her  eyes  though 
she  spoke  not. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


UXMAL 


THE  next  morning  they  passed  over  the 
land  that  had  once  been  occupied  by 
the  great  city.  The  dwellings  of  the  people 
had  crumbled,  and  fresh  young  trees  had 
grown  over  them.  The  exiles  now  en 
tered  the  inner  precincts  of  Uxmal  through 
the  gate  of  what  had  been  the  city  wall 
dividing  the  palaces  and  temples  from  the 
larger  town  without.  This  wall  was  built 
of  stone,  but  it  was  neither  high  nor  broad, 
for  it  had  been  intended,  not  for  defence  but 
seclusion — to  keep  the  sacred  city  from  the 
throng. 

And  now  they  ascended  the  three  terraces 
upon  which  stood  the  palace  of  the  king.* 
They  walked  around  this  noble  edifice  and 
looked  into  the  chambers,  swinging  wide 

*  "  The  House  of  the  Governor,"  as  it  is  called  to-day. 
153 


154  Maya 

the  great  doors  of  sapote  wood,  richly 
carved.  Within  were  dark  rooms  built  of 
solid  masonry. 

Passing  behind  the  palace,  and  a  little  to 
one  side,  they  came  upon  the  '-!_Hou££-£jL 
the  Turtles,"  on  the  second  terrace,  with 
its  simple  white  cornice  of  columns,  and 
Maya  explained  that  this  had  once  been  the 
queen's  dwelling. 

Then  they  went  on  to  the  great  building 
.which  to-day  men  call  the  Nunnery.      It 
4  was  composed  of  four  long  structures  sur- 
Jrounding  a  wide  "courtyard!     Entering  this 
'court  they  saw  on  each  of  its  sides  a  facade 
of  wonderful  beauty.     On  the  north  a  broad 
stairway  flanked   with    piles  of  decorated 
masonry  led  to  a  high  terrace,  upon  which 
stood  a  palace  with  thirteen  doorways  and 
over  each  door  a  triangular  turret  of  richly 
sculptured  stone.    To  the  west  was  a  range 
of  buildings    elaborately   adorned,    where 
two     interlacing    serpents    were    twined 
around  the   square  panels  of  the  cornice. 
To  the  south  was  another  long  structure 
with  many  entrances   and   over  each  ,  the 
sculptured  representation  of  a  Maya  cabin, 
with  thatched  roof  and  the  image  of  a  man 
in  the  doorway. 


Uxmal  155 

But  the  most  exquisite  of  the  four  build 
ings  around  the  courtyard  was  that  upon 
the  east  side.  Over  a  plain  wall  pierced  by 
five  entrances,  there  was  a  cornice  of  stone 
lattice-work  with  a  border  above  and  below. 
Over  the  middle  door  were  three  grotesque 
masks  of  human  faces,  one  above  the  other, 
while  in  the  lattice  above  each  of  the  other 
doors  were  eight  horizontal  bars,  with  a 
serpent's  head  at  each  end.  These  bars 
increased  in  length  as  they  rose  from  the 
door  to  the  top  of  the  cornice,  and  in  relief 
against  the  three  upper  ones  was  a  human 
face,  with  head-dress  like  those  on  Egyptian 
monuments,  with  rings  in  the  ears  and 
tongue  hanging  from  the  mouth. 

Now  to  Sandoval  it  seemed  that  of  all  the 
buildings  he  had  ever  seen,  there  was  none 
of  more  admirable  design  than  this,  and  he 
well  deemed  that  its  unknown  architect  had 
been  one  of  the  world's  great  artists. 

Just  behind  it  rose  the  "  House  of  the 
Diviner,"*  erected  by  the  Dwarf. 

Uxmal   had    been   forsaken   for   several 

*  The  House  of  the  Diviner  was  built  upon  the  summit 
of  an  artificial  mound  some  ninety  feet  high  and  oval  at 
the  base.  There  were,  indeed,  two  buildings  on  this 
mound,  one  resting  on  the  platform  on  top,  approached 


Maya 

generations.  The  forces  of  destruction  are 
very  swift  in  this  fiery  land  of  alternate  hu 
midity  and  drouth  ;  a  growth  of  small 
trees,  bushes,  and  cacti  had  already  begun 
to  appear  upon  the  stone  roofs  of  the  build 
ings  and  in  some  places  the  walls  were 
beginning  to  crumble.  But  the  noble 
structure  on  the  east,  "The  Temple  of  the 
Sun,"  remained  entire.  The  bright  hues 
on  its  stone  lattice-work  had  become 
dimmed,  but  it  was  all  the  more  beautiful 
in  its  softened  tints. 

It  was  in  this  eastern  edifice  that  San- 
doval  and  Maya  resolved  to  take  up  their 
abode,  not  only  because  the  chambers  were 
commodious,  but  because  the  temple  itself 
had  been  linked  with  precious  memories  of 
the  sacred  order  of  which  Maya  had  been 
the  chief. 

They  chose  for  their  dwelling  the  six 
apartments  at  the  middle  of  this  building, 
while  the  maidens  occupied  the  rooms  on 
each  side,  and  the  men  sent  by  the  king 
took  up  their  quarters  in  the  structure  south 
of  the  courtyard. 

by  a  broad,  steep  stairway  from  the  east ;  the  other,  one 
story  lower,  overlooking  the  Nunneiy,  and  reached  by  a 
similar  stairway  from  the  west. 


Uxmal  157 

Here,  in  the  ancient  sanctuary  of  the  vest 
als,  Sandoval  and  Maya  dwelt  together  in 
such  perfect  joy  as  the  gods  grant  only  to 
lovers  during  the  first  bloom  of  married  life. 
They  wandered  often  among  the  buildings 
of  the  deserted  city,  and  Maya  told  her  hus 
band  the  meaning  of  the  sculptures  and  in 
scriptions.  The  feathered  serpents  coiled 
around  the  cornice  west  of  the  courtyard, 
one  holding  in  its  mouth  a  human  head, 
portrayed,  she  said,  the  power  of  Kukulcan, 
intertwined  with  the  wisdom  of  Zamna, 
and  holding  in  its  open  jaws  the  destinies 
of  man.  In  many  places  there  appeared 
the  impression  of  a  small  red  hand  which 
seemed  as  though  it  had  been  dipped  in 
blood  and  then  pressed  upon  the  wall. 
Maya  said  that  each  of  these  stood  for 
Cab-Ul,  "the  working  hand  "  of  Zamna  — 
the  power  by  which  the  wise  god  wrought 
his  wonders;  and  that  when  men  touched 
the  sacred  sign  they  felt  the  strength  of  the 
great  healer  and  his  inspiration. 

But  oddest  of  all  to  Sandoval  were  the 
"triangular  arches"  which  he  saw  at  dif 
ferent  places  on  the  outside  of  the  buildings 
as  well  as  the  vaulted  ceilings  of  the  cham 
bers  within,  which  were  built  in  the  same 


158  Maya 

way.  He  wondered  much  at  these  curious 
structures  and  could  not  understand  why 
there  was  no  keystone.  He  spoke  to  Maya 
of  this  defect,  but  she  did  not  seem  to  know 
what  he  meant.  "How,"  she  asked, 
"could  they  be  better  than  they  were  ?  " 

To  us  the  making  of  an  arch  may  seem  a 
simple  thing,  yet  mankind  laboured  many 
centuries  before  this  thing  was  understood. 
The  Mayas  had  come  far  along  the  pathway 
to  that  discovery,  but  they  had  not  reached 
the  end.  Egypt  never  solved  the  problem/ 
nor  even  Greece.  In  the  arch  of  Mycenae 
there  is  something  quite  like  these  structures" 
of  the  Mayas.  The  walls  come  close  to 
gether,  but  no  keystone  is  laid  above  them. 
This  does  not  mean  that  Uxmal  has  any 
thing  to  do  with  Mycenae;  it  means  simply 
that  the  human  mind,  working  in  the  same 
way  through  long  centuries  in  lands  far 
apart,  sought  by  the  same  means  to  do  the 
same  thing.  The  problem  was  to  span 
great  spaces  with  small  blocks  of  stone,  and 
the  Maya  and  the  Greek  struggled  on  in 
just  the  same  manner  towards  its  solution. 
It  takes  a  long  time  for  even  a  simple  prin 
ciple  like  that  of  the  keystone  to  be  fully 
understood,  and  when  the  Roman  at  last 


UXMAL     THE   NUNNERY.     PART  OF  WEST  FACADE 


Uxmal  159 

discovered  it,  he  marked  a  new  era  in 
architecture. 

Sandoval  also  noticed  a  number  of  flat 
stones  on  the  terraces,  which  upon  being 
lifted,  opened  the  way  toward  cavities  be 
neath.  Some  of  these,  as  Maya  told  him, 
were  cisterns,  others  were  storehouses  for 
grain,  and  when  the  city  was  abandoned 
many  of  them  had  been  used  as  hiding- 
places  for  things  of  value. 

One  of  these  vaults  which  lay  close  to 
the  building  where  they  dwelt  was,  she 
said,  a  treasure-house,  and  when  Sandoval 
went  down  into  the  chamber,  he  discovered 
a  jar  of  terra  cotta,  curiously  ornamented, 
and  within,  a  number  of  valuable  objects — 
images,  amulets,  gold  ornaments,  pre 
cious  stones  and,  strangest  of  all,  an  ancient 
manuscript  made  of  a  paper  of  crushed 
maguey  leaves,  upon  which  was  written  in 
hieratic  characters  the  history  of  the  Tutul 
Xius.  A  strip  of  this  paper  several  yards 
long  and  perhaps  half  a  foot  wide  was 
folded  like  a  screen  so  that  it  might  be  read 
first  upon  one  side,  fold  after  fold,  then 
upon  the  other ;  there  was  no  back  to  the 
volume,  but  the  whole  was  bound  between 
two  wooden  covers  delicately  carved,  to 


160  Maya 

each  of  which  an  end  of  the  paper  was 
firmly  attached. 

As  Maya  and  Sandoval  examined  the 
writing,  she  explained  to  him  the  nature  of 
the  characters.  Whenever  anything  could 
be  shown  by  a  picture,  the  picture  was 
made,  but  if  the  thought  was  one  of  which 
no  drawing  could  be  given,  then  an  arbi 
trary  symbol  was  used  *  and  in  a  few  cases, 
where  neither  the  picture  nor  the  sign  was 
plain  enough,  the  sound  of  the  word  was 
represented  as  in  our  own  alphabet.! 

Writing  of  this  sort  is  hard  to  understand, 
but  Maya  had  been  taught  the  meaning  of 
the  signs,  and  without  difficulty  she  read  to 
Sandoval  many  chapters  from  the  heroic 
periods  of  her  country's  history. 

Such  a  manuscript  might  seem  to  us  a 
crude  jumble  of  bad  pictures  and  unintelli 
gible  signs  and  yet  to  him  who  understands 
it  it  has  a  deeper  meaning  than  the  choicest 
engraving  or  the  most  delicate  Elzevir,  for, 
like  the  incomplete  arch  which  shows  the 

>J>     *  As  in  the  Chinese  language. 

f  Bishop  Landa  has  since  given  us  the  Maya  alphabet. 
The  correctness  of  this  is  seriously  questioned,  yet  there 
is  little  doubt  that  phonetic  characters  were  occasionally 
used. 


Uxmal  161 

struggle   of  this    people    towards    higher 
creations  in  architecture,  it  tells  the  Story  OF 


fortsto  perpetuate  their  thoughts  in 

written  form.  It  shows  on  a  single"page~ 
steps  by^  which  mankind  advanced  from 
the  rough  picture-writing  of  the  savage  to 
the  alphabetic  characters  in  which  are  pre 
served  the  masterpieces  of  literature  and 
the  sum  of  all  permanent  human  know 
ledge.  It  is  the  living  evidence  of  a  great 
chapter  in  the  history  of  the  struggle  of 
mankind  from  ignorance  to  knowledge, 
from  darkness  into  light.* 

*  Several  of  these  Maya  manuscripts  are  still  extant; 
among  them  the  Dresden  Codex  in  the  Royal  Library 
of  that  city,  the  Codices  Troano  and  Cortesianus  in 
Madrid,  and  the  Codex  Perezianus  in  the  National  Library 
at  Paris,  besides  others  in  private  hands.  They  contain 
records  of  a  mythical,  historic,  and  ritualistic  character, 
and  the  efforts  to  decipher  them  have  up  to  the  present 
time  been  attended  with  only  partial  success. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE   CHILD 

AFTER  some  months  the  child  was  born, 
a  chubby  boy  with  his  father's  blue 
eyes  and  fair  hair. 

But  even  with  the  first  pressure  of  the 
tiny  hand  against  her  breast,  Maya  felt  a 
stab  as  sharp  as  if  a  keen  knife  had  pierced 
her  heart.  For  with  the  dawn  of  mother 
love  there  came  also  the  dreadful  thought 
that  this  sweet  treasure  was  hers  only  for 
the  brief  time  of  his  nursing  ;  that  just  as 
the  young  soul  would  awaken  and  the 
childish  prattle  would  begin,  the  beautiful 
boy  would  be  lost  to  her  forever.  Nay, 
more  than  lost  ;  for  in  the  slimy  contact 
with  Canek  the  name  and  memory  of  his 
mother  would  grow  hateful  to  him. 

But  among  the  Mayas  a  child  is  not 
weaned  until  during  the  third  year.  There 
163 


The  Child  163 

was  still  a  breathing-time  for  joy  and  ten 
derness. 

' 'More  than  two  years!"  she  thought  ; 
"that  is  a  long  while  !  So  many  things 
may  happen  !  Canek  is  old,  and  ere  that 
time  the  gods  may  call  him  to  Mitnal.  If 
he  should  die,  surely  my  father  will  relent 
and  my  lord  and  I  will  go  with  the  boy 
back  to  the  palace,  and  in  some  happier 
hour  the  child  shall  reign  and  his  father  and 
I  may  still  abide  with  him." 

With  each  day  that  passed,  the  bonds  of 
her  love  grew  stronger,  her  hope  more  anx 
ious,  and  her  fear  of  the  parting  more  fever 
ish.  The  months  went  on  until  the  child 
looked  into  his  mother's  face  and  smiled, 
and  one  afternoon,  as  the  three  sat  together 
in  their  shadowy  chamber,  and  the  bright 
rays  streamed  through  a  narrow  cranny  at 
the  side  of  the  curtain  drawn  across  the 
doorway,  the  child,  sitting  in  his  mother's 
lap,  clutched  at  the  shining  sunbeams 
which  glittered  with  those  countless  part 
icles  that  float  forever  in  the  atmosphere. 
But  the  father  s  face  passed  in  front  of  the 
line  of  light  and  when  the  little  hand 
reached  out,  the  gleam  had  vanished. 
The  boy's  eyes  grew  big  with  wonder. 


1 64  Maya 

Then  the  father's  face  was  withdrawn  and 
the  child  clutched  again.  Again  the  sun 
beam  disappeared,  until  seeing  that  face  and 
shadow  always  came  together,  the  chubby 
hand  seized  his  father's  beard  with  a  shrill 
outburst  of  laughter  at  his  great  discovery. 

What  swift  ways  have  these  little  ones 
to  twine  themselves  about  our  hearts  ! 
How  winsome  are  their  trustful  smiles  ! 
They  cannot  talk  to  us,  but  how  perfectly 
we  understand  them  !  As  the  years  pass 
and  their  words  grow  plain  we  may  not 
know  the  meaning  half  so  well. 

One  day  they  brought  the  boy  to  a 
chamber  on  the  north  side  of  the  courtyard 
which  they  used  as  a  place  of  worship. 
They  placed  him  in  front  of  the  low  altar 
upon  which  stood  a  curiously  moulded 
statue  of  Ixchel,  and  the  baby  hands 
reached  out  to  grasp  it  and  to  feel  the  rough, 
strange  contour  of  the  image.  Maya  held 
him  back.  Again  and  again  he  struggled 
to  possess  it,  and  still  the  mother's  arm 
gently  withheld  him,  until  at  length  he  gave 
over  the  pursuit  of  the  forbidden  pleasure. 
Yet  afterwards,  whenever  he  came  near  the 
image,  his  arms  were  stretched  forth  and  his 
little  fingers,  again  and  again  contracting, 


The  Child  165 

though  they  might  not  hope  to  grasp 
the  precious  form,  set  forth  more  plainly 
than  words  his  longing  for  the  thing  he 
dared  not  touch. 

Thus  do  we  stretch  our  hands,  and  He 
who  knows  all  things  may  tell  better  than 
we  whether  the  image  we  would  clutch  is 
worth  the  striving.  Is  it  fame  ?  Fame 
vanishes.  Or  riches,  which  moth  and  rust 
corrupt  before  our  eyes  ?  Or  is  it  love  ? 
For  pitiless  Death  hides  even  love  within 
the  tomb.  We  know  not  ;  we  are  borne 
hither  and  thither  and  with  outstretched 
arms  cry  to  the  winds  ;  and  who  shall 
answer  us  ? 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

THE   GODS'    DECREES 

AFTER  Uxmal  had  been  abandoned  and 
,  the  surrounding  milpas  had  become 
overgrown  with  rank  vegetation,  the  neigh 
bourhood  grew  to  be  unhealthy.  There 
were  marshy  tracts  without  drainage  and 
the  great  aguada  which  had  formerly  sup 
plied  the  city  with  drinking  water  had  now, 
after  long  neglect,  become  a  stagnant, 
pestilential  pool.* 

*  The  aguadas^were  the  public  reservoirs  built  by  the 
Mayas  throughout  Yucatan.  They  are  immense  struct 
ures  for  the  keeping  of  water  during  the  dry  season.  One 
of  them  is  situated  within  half  a  league  of  Uxmal.  Great 
trees  hang  over  its  borders  and  it  now  has  the  appear 
ance  of  a  natural  lake.  Yet  when  the  dry  season  is 
prolonged  and  the  water  is  withdrawn  from  the  edges 
there  can  be  found  large  square  stones  cemented  together, 
with  other  stones  laid  alternately  beneath  in  many  layers. 
Under  the  deepest  part  of  many  of  these  aguadas  there 
1 66 


The  Gods'  Decrees         167 

The  Mayas,  notwithstanding  the  instruc 
tion  of  Zamna,  were  little  skilled  in  the  laws 
of  hygiene,  and  when  it  was  known  that  the 
few  who  remained  near  the  forsaken  city 
were  stricken  by  disease,  this  was  thought^" 
to  be  due  to  the  wrath  of  the  gods,  who  had  ) 
cursed  the  place  defiled  by  the  evil  conduct/ 
of  the  Dwarf. 

Maya  did  not  share  this  superstition  of 
her  countrymen,  and  she  feared  not  to  dwell 
amid  the  scenes  that  were  dear  to  her. 
But  on  the  other  hand  she  could  not  know, 
nor  could  her  husband  tell  her,  of  the  miasma 
that  lurked  in  the  jungles  around  the  ancient 
capital.  It  was  her  custom  to  bathe  her 
boy  frequently  in  the  cool  waters  of  the 
aguada,  but  it  was  not  long  before  she  saw 
with  concern  that  the  child,  who  at  first 
had  been  so  strong  and  lusty,  now  began 
to  languish.  He  refused  nourishment.  He 
grew  thin  and  weak,  and  each  day,  when 

are  also  huge  covered  cisterns  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
the  water  which  remained  after  evaporation  and  daily 
use  had  emptied  the  reservoir.  When  the  agnada  became 
dry  these  cisterns  furnished  the  last  reserve  of  the  com 
munity.  There  were  several  hundreds  of  these  structures 
distributed  throughout  the  peninsula,  a  marvellous  evi 
dence  of  the  industry  and  skill  of  the  Maya  people  in  over 
coming  a  most  serious  physical  obstacle — the  lack  of  water. 


1 68  Maya 

the  fever  came,  his  blue  eyes  would  gleam 
for  a  time  strangely  and  unnaturally  bright, 
and  then,  when  the  fiery  stranger  had  de 
parted,  would  fade  again  and  grow  dim 
and  lifeless. 

Word  was  sent  to  the  king  of  the  child's 
illness,  and  one  of  the  royal  physicians 
came  from  Mani  to  heal  him,  but  all  was  in 
vain.  Each  day  the  little  voice  grew  fainter 
and  the  thin  arms  clutched  the  mother's 
neck  with  feebler  pressure. 

At  last  the  final  hour  drew  near  and 
Maya's  attendants  stole  from  the  chamber, 
for  they  knew  that  at  such  a  time  the 
parents  must  be  left  to  struggle  with  their 
grief  alone. 

The  boy  lay  upon  his  mother's  lap  within 
the  shadow  of  the  doorway.  The  father 
looked  on  in  a  dull  stupor  at  the  suffering 
of  the  frail  body  that  was  more  to  him 
than  the  wide  world  without,  yet  he  so 
helpless  to  bring  comfort  or  healing  !  He 
could  not  speak,  he  could  not  weep,  he 
could  not  even  feel.  He  fancied  that  the 
scene  before  him  was  nothing  but  a  dream 
and  he  watched  the  passing  of  this  precious 
life  with  almost  the  same  indifference  as  if 
it  had  been  a  stranger  or  a  beast. 


The  Gods1  Decrees         169 

He  saw  the  sunshine  creeping  inward 
across  the  floor  and  thought  that  now  it 
must  be  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 

He  listened  to  a  great  fly  that  buzzed 
around  him  and  reminded  him,  he  knew 
not  how,  of  his  own  country  and  some  far- 
off  time. 

Then  he  wondered  how  he  could  be  so 
callous  in  this  great  sorrow,  and  he  dimly 
traced  the  footsteps  of  mercy  even  in  his 
brutish  insensibility. 

Then  his  grief  returned,  and  the  old  ques 
tion  came  to  him,  the  inevitable,  the  unan 
swerable, —  why  the  Great  Power  who 
knows  all  and  can  do  all  should  suffer 
these  things  to  be,  and  his  heart  rose  in 
rebellion  against  such  a  Providence. 

When  sorrow  enters  our  doorway,  how 
varied  are  the  looks  we  cast  upon  the  dark- 
browed  stranger !  The  face  of  one  is 
hardened  by  the  marks  of  defiance,  while 
the  calm  features  of  another  are  softened 
by  the  tenderness  of  resignation. 

Maya  felt  more  keenly  than  Sandoval 
could  possibly  feel  the  tearing  of  her  heart 
strings  as  the  life  fled  from  the  little  face 
that  now  breathed  no  longer  against  her 
bosom.  Yet  when  she  knew  that  all  was 


iyo  Maya 

over,  she  looked  up  through  her  tears  and 
smiled  !  Then  laying  the  child  upon  the 
hammock  and  covering  his  body  with  her 
mantle,  she  turned  to  Sandoval,  her  arms 
stole  quietly  around  her  husband's  neck,  and 
she  whispered  : 

"  He  is  not  far  away,  nor  will  he  ever  be. 
I  shall  sing  to  him  over  the  little  mound  as 
I  used  to  sing  by  the  side  of  his  hammock, 
and  he  will  hear  me  just  as  well." 

I  think  men  cannot  feel  as  strongly  as 
women  do  the  near  presence  of  those  who 
live  no  more.  Sandoval  did  not  seem  to 
understand  the  words  his  wife  had  spoken. 
He  gazed  long  upon  vacancy,  nor  could  he 
be  aroused  from  his  lethargy  until  he  had 
looked  into  her  shining  eyes.  Then  the 
memories  of  a  greater  love  awakened  him, 
and  he  murmured  : 

ff  Thou  art  still  with  me,"  and  his  tears 
mingled  with  hers  as  they  drew  aside  the 
mantle  and  gazed  together  upon  the  face  of 
the  sleeper. 

Maya  had  no  fear  for  the  child  upon  his 
appointed  Jour-days  journey  to.  the  land  of 
the  spirits,  for  well  she  knew  that  the  grim 
gods  of  death  withhold  their  terrors  at  the 
passing  of  an  infant's  soul,  and  that  the 


The  Gods'  Decrees         171 

children  of  paradise  would  come  forth  to 
welcome  him. 

And  on  the  fifth  day,  according  to  the 
Maya  rites,  the  child  was  buried  in  a  little 
grave  near  the  palace,  and  he  sat  upright  in 
his  narrow  chamber  while  they  placed  upon 
his  lap  and  in  his  hands  the  images  and 
toys  he  used  to  love,  and  covered  all  with 
a  great  stone,  and  built  a  mound  above  him, 
where  each  day  at  sunset  the  mother  came 
to  sing  a  lullaby.  At  such  times  Sandoval 
was  with  her,  but  he  sat  at  her  side  in 
silence,  and  he  was  less  comforted  than  the 
mother,  for  he  doubted  whether  the  child 
could  hear.  Indeed,  it  was  rather  to  please 
her  than  to  satisfy  himself  that  he  accom 
panied  her,  for  many  times  he  felt  a  strange 
shudder  as  he  gazed  upon  the  things  that 
brought  to  his  remembrance  that  dreadful 
hour  of  death. 

Sometimes  Maya  came  alone,  for  such  is 
mother  grief  that  there  are  moments  when 
even  the  dearest  must  not  share  it.  And 
one  day,  while  she  was  sitting  by  the 
mound  and  talking  softly  to  the  child  be 
neath,  she  heard  from  a  neighbouring  tree 
the  cry  of  a  bird,  and  she  found  hanging 
from  the  branches  the  nest  of  an  oriole 


172  Maya 

with  one  small  fledgling  whose  parents 
had  perhaps  fallen  victims  to  some  beast  or 
bird  of  prey,  for  the  little  one  was  deserted 
and  alone.  Well  did  Maya  know  that  the 
tiny  creature  which  had  called  to  her  was 
the  soul  of  her  own  child,  and  that  its 
cry  was  the  answer  to  her  song.  So  she 
took  the  nest  and  brought  it  to  her 
chamber  and  cherished  the  small  foundling 
till  it  grew  strong  and  sang  to  her.  But 
she  would  not  fetter  the  little  creature  in  a 
cage. 

"As  his  soul  grows,"  she  said,  "he 
must  fly  whither  he  will  and  be  joyous  and 
happy  in  the  forest." 

And  the  bird  flew  away,  but  often  re 
turned  to  be  fed  from  her  hand  and  caressed 
upon  her  bosom.  And  when  it  sped  again 
into  the  forest  she  would  say  : 

"  He  is  growing  strong  and  happy  and  I 
rejoice." 

Yet  her  joy  was  darkened  by  the  thought 
that  her  child  had  no  longer  the  same  need 
of  her  care  and  love.  But  she  comforted 
herself  with  the  reflection  : 

"In  my  dreams  he  can  never  grow  old 
and  strange  to  me.  There  shall  I  see  ever 
the  same  baby  face  and  feel  the  same 


The  Gods'  Decrees        173 

caressing  arms,  and  he  will  remain  my  little 
one  forever." 

Often  indeed  she  realised  that  it  was  bet 
ter  the  boy  had  gone  than  that  he  should 
have  lived  to  be  consigned  to  the  guardian 
ship  of  Canek  and  brought  up  in  forget- 
fulness  or  hatred  of  the  mother  who  had 
loved  him  so  tenderly.  And  when  she 
and  Sandoval  spoke  of  it  together  they 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  after  all  it 
might  be  that  the  decrees  of  the  gods  were 
wise  and  good. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

THE    CROSS 

NE  evening  Sandoval  and  Maya  climbed 
the  steep  steps  of  the  pyramid  that 
rises  to  the  lofty  House  of  the  Diviner. 
When  they  reached  the  summit  they  stood 
for  a  long  time  watching  the  groups  of 
stars  that  blazed  above  them.  It  was  a 
night  such  as  is  seen  only  in  the  tropics. 
The  warm  air  was  scented  with  a  sweet 
aroma  from  the  dense  vegetation  around 
them.  The  beautiful  palace  in  which  they 
dwelt  lay  at  their  feet.  To  the  south  rose 
the  gables  of  the  House  of  the  Doves  tra 
cing  a  clear  silhouette  against  the  heavens, 
a  little  to  the  left  was  the  stately  palace  of 
the  king,  while  other  pyramids  and  mounds 
beyond  cast  their  sharp  triangular  outlines 
against  the  sky. 

The  Southern  Cross  hung  low  upon  the 
174     ' ' 


The  Cross  175 

edge  of  the  heavens,  and  although  in  this 
latitude  it  has  not  the  brightness  that  it  at 
tains  south  of  the  equator,  yet  even  here  it 
forms  one  of  the  most  remarkable  constel 
lations  in  the  firmament. 

"My  people,"  said  Maya,  "like  thine 
own,  worship  the  cross,  and  there  in  the 
sky  is  its  everlasting  symbol.  I  rejoice 
that  I  saw  it  on  our  bridal  night  shining 
unclouded,  for  that  shall  still  be  to  us  an 
augury  of  happy  days. 

"Our  great  prophet,  Ahcambal,*  fore 
told  that  it  was  under  such  a  sign  that  we 
must  receive  the  bearded  strangers  from 
the  East.     But  to  thy  people  the  meaning 
of  the  cross  is  not  the  same  as  with  us. 
To  them  it  stands  for  the  suffering  of  a 
God  that  saved  the  world.     With  us  it  is 
the  sign  of  the  gp"tj)Mhe  four  winds _of  /n 
heaven,  whence  come  the  clouds  that  bring  X^ 
the  blessed  rain   which   refreshes  and  re-  / 
stores    the    earth.      Is   not  that  a  better 
meaning  than  '  a  god  in  torment  ? '     Little 
dost  thou  tell  me  of  thy  thoughts  concern 
ing  the  deep  things  that  lie  beyond  the 
world — what  then  is  thy  belief?" 

It  would  be  hard  to  say  what  was  the 

*  In  the  books  of  Chilan-Balam  of  Mani. 


1 76  Maya 

precise  form  of  Sandoval's  faith  since  his 
marriage  to  the  Maya  princess.  He  had 
joined  her  in  the  outward  observances  of 
her  religion,  though  to  tell  the  truth  he  put 
little  trust  in  her  grotesque  gods  and  strange 
superstitions. 

His  faith  was  in  that  chaotic  condition, 
common  to  many  of  the  sons  of  earth, 
which  followed  no  certain  creed,  but 
deemed  that  if  men  were  to  be  judged  it 
would  be  rather  by  their  lives  than  by  their 
beliefs  ;  that  there  was  somewhere  a  pro 
tecting  arm  ;  that  in  the  great  unknown 
there  would  be  found  shelter  against  harm 
and  suffering,  and  that  the  beloved  of  his 
soul  would  be  forever  at  his  side. 

Yet  the  roots  of  the  faith  of  his  child 
hood  still  clung  to  him  and  the  memories 
awakened  by  Maya's  <a]lusi£H-to  the  cross 
brought  in  their  train  a  pang  of  regret  that 
he  had  wandered  so  far  from  the  path  of 
his  fathers. 

So  he  spoke  of  the  meaning  of  the  sacred 
symbol  with  an  earnestness  and  eloquence 
such  as  his  wife  had  never  heard  before. 
The  Maya  tongue  would  not  utter  his  full 
meaning,  so  he  fell  into  his  own  Castilian. 
He  told  of  the  infinite  gentleness  of  the 


The  Cross  177 

Man  of  Sorrows,  of  the  lessons  of  humility 
and  peace  taught  by  the  wanderer,  of  His 
willing  sacrifice  and  cruel  death — the  sad 
story  which,  in  its  simple  grandeur,  is  and 
ever  shall  be  the  wonder  of  the  world, 
holding  all  men,  believers  and  unbelievers 
alike,  in  reverent  awe. 

Maya,  although  she  had  learned  the  out 
lines  of  the  tale  on  that  first  night  at  Mani, 
had  never  yet  realised  the  beauty  and  ma 
jesty  of  the  Christian  faith.  So  deeply 
affected  was  she  at  the  recital  that  she  could 
not  speak  but  took  her  husband's  hand,  and 
after  he  had  ended  they  stood  long  in  sil 
ence  upon  the  high  pyramid  until  the  moon, 
rising  deep  red  on  the  horizon,  filled  the 
sky  with  a  spectral  and  supernatural  light. 
They  then  descended  hand  in  hand  and  be 
took  themselves  to  their  own  chamber. 

That  night  Maya  dreamed.  It  was  a 
weird  phantasmagoria.  First  she  seemed 
to  be  standing  with  Sandoval  on  the  terrace 
of  the  House  of  the  Diviner  looking  at  the 
Southern  Cross.  Between  the  four  great 
stars  at  its  extremities  a  multitude  of  lesser 
ones  appeared  that  grew  brighter  as  she 
watched  them  until  the  whole  formed  a 
shining  mass  of  light. 


178  Maya 

Then  upon  the  cross  there  was  outlined 
the  form  of  a  human  figure,  fair  and  beau 
tiful,  but  with  sorrowful  and  suffering 
countenance.  Soon  the  constellations  round 
about  grouped  themselves  into  the  forms  of 
children,  and  the  little  ones  had  wings  and 
floated  around  the  figure  on  the  cross 
and  sang  as  they  passed,  songs  so  soft  and 
caressing  that  he  smiled  at  them  through 
his  tears  and  pain.  And  among  the  chil 
dren  was  her  own  boy,  who,  as  he  floated 
by,  held  out  his  little  hands  to  the  sufferer 
just  as  he  had  held  them  out  in  life  to  the 
image  which  he  might  not  touch.  Then 
the  cross  dissolved  and  bright  garments 
fell  upon  the  figure  and  it  floated  upward 
through  the  heavens,  the  children  following. 

And  now  from  far  beneath,  the  constel 
lations  grouped  themselves  again,  and  there 
were  flames  that  leaped  up  toward  the 
shining  form,  but  they  might  not  touch  it, 
and  amid  the  flames  there  was  a  counte 
nance  which  Maya  knew  only  too  well,  for 
it  bore  the  cruel  lips  and  leering  eyes  of 
Canek.  His  gaze  was  fastened  upon  one 
face,  the  face  of  her  boy,  and  the  old  chief 
struggled  to  clutch  him  and  drag  him  down 
into  the  flames.  But  the  arms  of  the 


The  Cross  179 

beautiful  being  who  had  risen  from  the  cross 
stretched  forth  and  took  the  child,  and 
folded  him  to  his  own  breast,  where  he 
rested  as  quietly  and  confidingly  as  if  upon 
the  bosom  of  his  mother. 

And  as  Maya  dreamed,  her  heart  was 
filled  with  a  great  love  for  the  bright  god  who 
had  plucked  her  child  from  danger  and  shel 
tered  him  in  his  affectionate  embrace.  And 
when  she  awoke  she  turned  to  her  husband 
and  told  him  her  vision,  and  she  added  : 

11  Thy  god  is  better  far  than  ours.  Neither 
Zamna  nor  Kukulcan  nor  '  the  Sun's  Eye  ' 
is  such  as  he.  I  too  will  worship  him. 
Let  me  keep  only  my  paradise  and  the 
birds  that  sing  in  the  branches  of  the  tree 
of  life  and  in  all  else  I  will  follow  thee  and 
thy  God  shall  cheer  and  comfort  us." 

Thus  it  was  that  they  established  a  com 
posite  Talth,  trait  Christian  and  half  pagall 
—  a  faith  that  would  not  be  at  all  satisfac 
tory,  I  fancy,  to  the  orthodox  expounders 
of  either  religion — a  most  grotesque  con 
glomerate,  thou  wilt  say,  and  so  indeed  it 
was.  Yet  it  gave  them  comfort,  and  was 
perhaps  not  harder  to  explain  than  are  some 
of  the  tenets  of  thine  own  faith,  reader, 
whatever  that  faith  may  chance  to  be. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE   INVADERS 

AND  now  there  came  to  the  king  at 
Mani  the  news  of  bearded  strangers 
who  had  landed  on  the  coast  near  the 
north-eastern  corner  of  the  peninsula. 
The  chief  who  ruled  in  that  part  of  the 
country  had  lured  them  to  his  city  and  at 
tacked  them  from  ambush,  but  they  had 
swords  of  a  strange  sharp  metal  which 
hewed  to  pieces  all  that  stood  in  their  way, 
and  they  carried  weapons  charged  with 
thunderbolts  which  slew  their  assailants 
from  afar,  so  there  had  been  a  great  slaugh 
ter  among  the  Maya  warriors.  At  last  the 
strangers  had  gone  back  to  their  winged 
canoes  and  now  they  were  sailing  along 
the  shore,  but  great  was  the  fear  lest  they 
should  land  again. 

Such  were  the  tidings  brought  by  swift 
180 


The  Invaders  181 

couriers  to  the  king,  and  the  chief  who 
sent  them  besought  the  men  of  Mani  and 
the  neighbouring  tribes  to  arm  and  come 
straightway  to  the  coast  that  all  might 
fight  together  against  the  strangers. 

Now  the  counsellors  of  Ahpula  were  di 
vided.  Some  urged  him  to  join  the  tribes 
of  the  north  in  driving  out  the  invaders, 
while  others  said  it  would  be  unworthy  of 
the  king  to  make  common  cause  with  a 
rebel  chief;  and  he  was  in  sore  doubt  what 
he  should  do. 

Then  he  bethought  him  of  Sandoval, 
who  might  perhaps  tell  him  what  kind 
of  men  were  these  strange  beings,  and 
how  worthy  of  his  friendship,  should 
he  become  their  ally  against  his  rebel 
lords. 

So  a  messenger  was  sent  to  Uxmal  to  bid 
Sandoval  come  to  Mani  with  all  speed. 
The  Spaniard  doubted  whether  he  should 
go  ;  perhaps  this  was  another  trap  set  for 
his  ruin.  But  Maya  said  : 

"  I  will  go  with  thee  ;  and  should  they 
plot  against  thee  I  will  bring  to  naught 
their  devices  as  surely  as  I  thwarted  the 
schemes  of  Canek  on  the  day  he  had  ap 
pointed  for  thy  sacrifice." 


1 82  Maya 

So  they  went  forth  together,  and  together 
they  appeared  at  the  king's  council. 

When  Ahpula  told  him  of  the  white 
men,  Sandoval  was  strangely  moved,  for 
memories  of  his  youth  came  back  to  him 
when  he  heard  of  the  coming  of  his  coun 
trymen,  and  the  thought  dawned  in  his 
heart  that  perhaps  the  days  of  his  exile 
were  drawing  to  a  close. 

He  told  the  king  that  there  were  none 
who  could  withstand  the  strangers,  and 
that  the  better  plan  would  be  to  join  them 
and  offer  them  his  friendship.  But  when  the 
king  asked  whether  the  white  men  would 
establish  him  upon  the  throne,  Sandoval 
answered  that  this  could  only  be  if  Ahpula 
should  accept  their  religion  for  his  own  and 
acknowledge  the  great  monarch  who  dwelt 
beyond  the  sea  ;  for  the  Spaniard  under 
stood  the  ways  of  his  countrymen  and 
knew  that  no  other  peace  could  be  made 
with  them. 

Those  who  sat  at  the  council  saw  how  his 
eye  glittered  when  it  was  told  him  that  his 
own  people  had  come  to  the  Maya  land,  and 
when  he  spoke  of  submission,  they  cried  out 
against  him,  and  declared  that  he  who  had 
been  a  false  god  in  the  past  was  now  a  traitor. 


The  Invaders  18} 

Had  it  not  been  that  Maya  was  at  his 
side  it  would  have  gone  hard  with  him, 
but  for  her  sake  Ahpula  would  not  suffer 
the  hand  of  any  to  be  raised  against  him. 

Then  the  king  sent  his  troops  to  the 
westward  to  drive  away  the  strangers,  for 
the  word  was  that  the  great  canoes  had 
sailed  thither. 

First  the  army  marched  to  Kimpech, 
the  northernmost  harbour  that  lay  upon  the 
western  coast.  Here  they  found  that  the 
white  men  had  already  come  and  gone. 

The  lord  of  the  place  had  at  first  made 
them  welcome,  for  he  knew  not  who  they 
were,  nor  had  he  yet  learned  the  will  of 
the  king  concerning  them.  So  he  had 
shown  friendship  to  the  foreign  captain 
and  clasped  him  in  his  arms,  and  each  had 
worn  the  other's  garments,  and  the  Mayas 
had  given  to  the  newcomers  all  manner  of 
provisions, — partridges,  cocks,  hares,  veni 
son,  and  bread;  and  the  strangers  had  won 
dered  greatly  at  the  splendour  of  the  city — 
at  the  square  tower  upon  whose  front  was 
graven  the  image  of  a  god  with  wild  beasts 
on  either  hand,  and  at  the  serpent  with  a 
tiger  in  its  mouth,  all  cut  in  stone  and  six 
teen  paces  long. 


184  Maya 

But  when  the  people  of  Kimpech  saw 
that  the  strangers  offered  no  worship  to 
their  gods,  then  the  high  priests  brought 
forth  a  bundle  of  reeds  and  set  it  afire  to 
show  them  that,  unless  they  departed,  when 
the  reeds  were  burned  they  also  would 
be  consumed. 

At  last  the  Spaniards  sailed  away  south 
ward  along  the  coast,  and  swift  couriers 
were  sent  to  Mochcovoh,  who  ruled  at 
Potonchan,  where  there  was  another  har 
bour  and  a  city;  and  they  warned  him  not 
to  barter  with  the  strangers,  nor  give  them 
food  nor  water  except  in  exchange  for  their 
own  blood;  and  the  king's  army  hastened 
thither  to  drive  away  the  invaders. 

At  Potonchan  there  came  forth  fire  and 
smoke  and  thunder  from  the  great  canoes, 
yet  the  Mayas  were  undaunted,  and  when 
the  strangers  landed,  met  them  on  the 
shore  and  hurled  upon  them  stones  and 
spears  and  arrows  until  at  last  they  fled 
back  to  their  vessels.  Half  their  men  were 
killed  and  well-nigh  all  were  wounded, 
and  the  Spaniards  departed  in  great  sorrow, 
after  their  "bad  fight."* 

*  The  place  was  afterwards  named  by  the  Spaniards 
the  bay  of  Mala  Pelea.     Cordova,  the   leader  of  this 


The  Invaders  185 

The  Mayas  now  believed  that  they  were 
forever  rid  of  their  unwelcome  guests,  and 
great  was  the  scorn  cast  upon  Sandoval 
when  the  army  came  back  to  Mani. 

The  following  year  another  fleet  hovered 
along  the  coast.  It  followed  the  same 
course,  and  at  Potonchan  there  was  another 
battle,  and  again  the  Spaniards  fared  badly 
and  lost  many  men.* 

Once  more  the  strangers  departed  and 
nothing  more  was  heard  of  them  till  Cortes 
came.  Nor  did  the  Great  Captain  stay  in 
Yucatan,  but  forthwith  sailed  on  to  Mexico. 

Meanwhile  Sandoval  had  returned  with 

expedition,  died  of  his  wounds  a  few  days  after  his  return 
to  Cuba. 

*  Bishop  Landa,  who  afterwards  wrote  of  the  event, 
tells  us  with  great  particularity  that  the  leader  Grijalva 
lost  "  a  tooth  and  a  half"  in  the  struggle. 

Bernal  Diaz,  a  soldier  who  took  part  in  the  battle,  also 
tells  us  :  "  We  stayed  four  days  in  this  place  and  I  shall 
never  forget  it  for  the  locusts  that  we  saw  there.  These 
creatures  kept  flying  in  our  faces  and  at  the  same  mo 
ment  we  were  attacked  by  a  shower  of  arrows  and  we 
mistook  the  locusts  for  arrows.  But  as  soon  as  we  found 
out  our  mistake  we  deceived  ourselves  in  another  more 
dreadful  way,  for  we  now  mistook  arrows  for  locusts 
and  no  longer  sheltered  ourselves  against  them.  We 
were  severely  wounded  in  consequence  and  found  our 
selves  in  a  very  awkward  predicament." 


1 86 


Maya 


Maya  to  Uxmal,  where  they  lived  together 
many  years  knowing  nothing  of  the  great 
deeds  that  ended  in  the  conquest  of  the 
Aztec  kingdom. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

CONSOLATION 

WHEN  Canek  heard  the  news  of  the 
death  of  Maya's  child,  which 
blasted  his  hopes  of  the  succession,  he 
shut  himself  in  his  stronghold  among  the 
hills  of  the  south,  and  nothing  more  was 
heard  of  his  alliance  with  Ahpula  for  the 
subjugation  of  the  tribes.  There  was  no 
open  break  between  chief  and  king,  for 
Canek  hoped,  if  Maya  had  another  heir, 
that  his  schemes  might  be  renewed  ;  in  the 
meantime,  however,  his  thoughts  were 
given  to  the  strengthening  of  his  power 
elsewhere  so  that  he  might  aid  either  the 
king  or  the  rebels  and  become  the  leader  of 
whichever  faction  he  pleased  when  occasion 
might  offer  ;  and  to  all  appeals  for  aid,  the 
king  had  for  answer  nothing  but  postpone 
ments  and  excuses. 

187 


1 88  Maya 

Years  passed  and  the  old  chief  lived  on, 
yet  he  could  make  little  headway  in  his 
schemes,  and  finding  at  last  that  he  could 
not  reach  the  throne,  he  determined  to  make 
sure  of  his  vengeance.  It  was  not  long 
until  he  found  an  opportunity. 

One  evening  a  messenger  came  in  haste 
to  Uxmal,  bearing  a  letter  written  upon 
bark,  and  when  Sandoval  examined  it  he 
found  that  it  contained,  not  Maya  hiero 
glyphs,  but  the  script  of  his  own  Castilian. 
It  was  a  poor  scrawl,  for  the  writer  even  in 
his  best  days  had  little  learning,  but  Sando 
val  was  able  to  make  out  that  it  came  from 
his  former  companion,  Guerrero.  This  was 
indeed  a  surprise  to  him,  for  he  had  not 
known  that  the  old  sailor  was  living. 

The  letter  said  that  Guerrero  was  stricken 
with  mortal  sickness  and  implored  Sandoval 
to  come  to  him. 

Maya,  when  her  husband  told  her  of  the 
request,  besought  him  to  hasten  to  his  dy 
ing  comrade,  and  offered  to  go  with  him. 
And  so,  followed  by  their  attendants,  they 
set  forth  together  through  the  wilderness. 

When  they  came  to  Chatemal  and  were 
brought  to  the  dwelling  of  Guerrero,  San 
doval  could  hardly  recognise  his  former 


Consolation  189 

companion  in  the  old  man,  hideously  tat 
tooed,  and  adorned  with  rings  and  barbaric 
ornaments,  who  lay  upon  a  bed  of  mats 
within  his  lodge,  while  beside  him  stood 
his  stout  spouse  with  children  of  every  age 
and  size.  But  worse  than  his  physical  dis 
figurement  were  the  traces  of  terror  which 
overspread  his  countenance  as  he  tossed 
from  side  to  side  upon  his  bed.  Both  in 
his  dreams  and  in  his  waking  hours  he  was 
tormented  with  remorse  for  his  dreadful 
heresy,  and  images  of  the  fiends  and  flames 
of  hell  came  to  plague  him  with  menaces 
of  endless  suffering.  The  help  of  Holy 
Church  was  not  at  hand,  and  he  had  sent 
to  Sandoval  in  his  despair. 

But  it  was  Maya  who  brought  him  the 
comfort  that  he  sought.  She  told  him  the 
vision  she  had  seen  of  the  sad  and  merciful 
god  upon  the  cross  who  had  plucked  her 
child  from  the  flames  and  folded  him  in 
loving  arms.  Such  a  god,  she  said,  was 
able  to  save  and  to  forgive. 

So  low  was  her  voice,  so  earnest  were 
her  eyes,  that  the  dying  man  looked  upon 
her  transfixed,  and  when  she  ended,  a 
smile  played  upon  his  features  as  he  sank 
to  sleep. 


190 


Maya 


He  lingered  for  some  days,  but  never 
woke  to  consciousness. 

Sandoval  remained  in  Chatemal  until  after 
the  funeral  rites  were  over,  when  he  and 
Maya  planted  a  cross  upon  the  grave,  and 
as  they  gazed  upon  it  he  said  to  her  : 

"With  thee  beside  me  it  would  be  a 
joy  even  to  die." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


CANEK 

THEN  with  their  train  they  journeyed 
back  to  Uxmal.  On  their  way  to 
Chatemal  they  had  noticed  that  one  of 
their  attendants  had  disappeared.  They  had 
sought  him  everywhere  through  the  for 
est,  but  he  was  not  to  be  found,  and  the 
suspicion  of  treachery  crossed  the  mind  of 
Sandoval  as  he  thought  of  the  plots  of 
Canek  in  the  past. 

On  the  third  night,  while  they  slept  in  a 
small  grove  that  lay  in  a  narrow  valley  with 
thickets  round  about,  Maya  was  awakened 
by  the  cries  of  owls  that  seemed  to  be  call 
ing  to  one  another  more  than  they  were 
wont,  and  she  aroused  her  husband  and 
asked  him  what  might  be  the  meaning  of 
so  many  voices.  Suddenly  they  saw  a  dark 
figure  gliding  from  one  jungle  to  another, 
191 


192  Maya 

and  they  hastily  aroused  their  attendants 
and  stood  upon  their  guard. 

All  at  once  a  hoarse  shriek  rent  the  air. 
There  were  answering  cries  from  every 
side  and  men  rushed  forth  and  sought  to 
seize  them  in  the  darkness. 

Had  Canek  been  content  to  kill,  this 
would  have  been  an  easy  task,  for  his  men 
greatly  outnumbered  the  followers  of  San- 
doval.  But  it  was  his  plan  to  take  his 
victims  alive  and  offer  them  in  sacrifice 
when  he  came  home  ;  and  this  was  a 
harder  matter  than  he  had  dreamed.  San- 
doval  stood  with  his  back  against  the  broad 
trunk  of  an  elm  where  the  moon,  shining 
red  and  low  behind  him,  lighted  the  forms 
of  his  assailants  while  he  remained  in  dark 
ness.  One  after  another  of  the  men  of 
Peten-Itza  as  they  drew  near  were  struck 
down  by  his  heavy  sword. 

He  could  long  have  defended  himself  in 
this  manner,  but  suddenly  he  saw  two  of 
Canek's  followers  steal  up  behind  Maya, 
seize  her,  and  drag  her  away.  In  an  instant 
he  followed  and  felled  one  of  them  to  the 
earth  ;  the  other  fled. 

Sandoval  now  defied  the  lord  of  Peten- 
Itza  to  single  combat,  but  he  was  answered 


Canek  193 

by  a  mocking  laugh  as  his  foes  drew  near 
from  every  side  to  cut  off  his  escape. 

But  some  of  his  followers,  who  had  hid 
den  at  the  first  onset,  now  began  to  gather 
and  attack  their  enemies  in  the  rear,  until  a 
sudden  panic  seized  the  men  of  Canek  and 
they  fled.  The  old  chief  with  wild  impre 
cations  sought  to  stay  them,  but  in  vain. 

Finding  that  his  prey  could  not  be  taken, 
he  drew  his  bow  and  discharged  an  arrow 
at  Maya  ;  then  he  too  turned  and  tied.  The 
arrow  struck  her  in  the  shoulder,  but  the 
wound  was  trifling,  and  she  gave  it  little 
heed. 

Sandoval  followed  close  upon  Canek's 
footsteps  and  at  last  brought  him  to  bay. 
The  men  of  Peten-Itza  had  disappeared, 
leaving  their  chief  alone  face  to  face  with 
his  assailant.  He  defended  himself  with 
desperate  courage,  but  the  struggle  was  a 
short  one  ;  with  a  great  blow  the  Spaniard 
felled  him  to  the  earth  where  he  lay  still  in 
death  with  a  light  of  fierce  hatred  in  his 
staring  eyes. 

Then  Sandoval  and  Maya  gathered  their 
followers  together  and  swiftly  and  silently 
made  their  way  through  the  forest  back  to 

Uxmal. 
13 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

BEREAVEMENT 

THOUGH  Maya's  wound  was  slight  it 
did  not  heal,  and  day  by  day  she  lan 
guished  until  at  last  Sandoval  knew  that  the 
arrow  had  been  dipped  in  poison  and  that 
her  life  hung  by  a  thread. 

He  sent  to  Mani  for  the  king's  physicians, 
but  scarcely  had  the  courier  departed  when 
there  came  by  another  road  an  embassy 
from  Ahpula  with  an  important  message. 

Sandoval  went  forth  to  meet  the  embassy 
at  the  city  gate,  and  after  he  had  made 
obeisance  and  the  envoy  had  descended 
from  his  litter,  they  walked  on,  followed  by 
their  attendants,  to  the  great  building  which 
in  past  times  had  been  the  palace  of  the 
king.  When  they  had  mounted  the  steps 
of  the  terrace  and  stood  before  the  mid 
dle  doorway  with  the  great  stone  figure 
194 


Bereavement  195 

of  Ahcuitok  above  them,  the  ambassa 
dor  spoke  : 

"I  marvel,"  he  said,  ''that  the  king's 
daughter  is  not  at  thy  side,  for  the  message 
of  Ahpula  is  for  her  also." 

Then  Sandoval  told  him  of  the  struggle 
in  the  forest,  and  of  Maya's  wound  and  her 
illness  which  was  so  great  that  she  could 
not  come  to  hear  the  message  of  the  king. 

''Therefore  to  me  must  thou  deliver  it 
and  I  will  tell  her  all." 

Then  the  envoy  declared  : 

"Ahpula  yearns  to  look  upon  the  eyes 
and  hear  again  the  soft  voice  of  his  daugh 
ter.  Long  since  would  he  have  sent  for 
her,  but  he  well  knew  that  Canek  would 
stir  the  tribes  to  vengeance.  Yet  now  that 
fear  is  past.  He  sends  forgiveness  and 
bids  you  return  with  me  to  Mani  and  be 
to  him  the  same  that  you  were  in  days  of 
old." 

Had  this  message  come  at  any  other  mo 
ment  it  would  have  filled  the  heart  of  the 
exile  with  gladness,  for  he  knew  how  dear 
to  Maya  was  her  father's  love  and  how 
precious  would  be  the  long-delayed  for 
giveness.  But  now  a  fear  came  with  the 
thought  that  haunted  him,  "  Is  it  too  late?" 


196  Maya 

He  told  the  ambassador  that  when  the 
princess  grew  strong  again  they  would  set 
out  together  and  he  sent  to  Ahpula  fit 
words  of  love  and  gratitude.  Then  bid 
ding  his  men  serve  the  king's  messengers 
with  all  they  might  require,  he  betook  him 
self  to  his  own  abode. 

The  rooks  circled  mournfully  above  him 
in  the  sultry  air,  and  as  he  passed  through 
the  triangular  arch  into  the  inner  courtyard 
of  his  own  palace,  he  cast  his  eyes  up  to 
the  House  of  the  Vestals  to  look  for  the 
smile  which  always  greeted  his  coming. 
For  even  during  her  illness  Maya  had  re 
clined  in  the  doorway  of  her  chamber 
ready  to  welcome  him  when  he  appeared. 
But  now,  for  the  first  time  in  all  the  years 
they  had  lived  together,  she  was  not  there 
to  watch  for  his  return.  A  great  fear  fell 
upon  him  ;  he  hurried  anxiously  up  the 
steps  of  the  terrace  and  hastily  entered  the 
doorway. 

At  first  he  could  see  nothing,  for  his  eyes 
had  been  blinded  by  the  glare.  Then  he 
heard  the  low  sobs  of  her  maidens  and 
gradually  he  saw  the  forms  gathered  around 
the  hammock  where  she  lay;  but  as  he 
bent  over  it,  and  called  her  by  the  fond 


Bereavement  197 

names  which  had  never  before  failed  to 
draw  forth  a  look  of  tenderness  and  an 
answering  caress,  she  neither  moved  nor 
gazed  upon  him. 

He  could  not  let  her  thus  slip  away  with 
out  a  word  ;  he  clung  to  her  and  bore  her 
in  his  arms  back  and  forth  across  the  room; 
he  sought  by  every  device  of  affection  to 
rouse  her  even  for  a  moment  from  her  leth 
argy,  but  all  in  vain.  Sometimes  his  efforts 
were  answered  by  a  low  moan  of  pain,  and 
later,  when  in  her  delirium  she  spoke  his 
name  and  words  of  tenderness  broke  from 
her  lips  even  in  madness,  he  sought  to  find 
in  these  the  answer  to  his  entreaties,  but 
her  eyes  moved  elsewhere  and  it  was  plain 
she  knew  not  that  he  whom  she  had  called 
was  bending  over  her. 

At  times  her  words  were  wild,  for  the 
face  of  Canek  was  before  her  eyes,  and  as 
he  seemed  to  spring  from  the  flames  to 
clutch  her  child,  a  wail  of  despair  broke 
from  her  lips. 

Her  husband  strove  to  comfort  her  with 
quiet  words  —  words  hard  to  speak  while 
mortal  fear  and  anguish  tear  the  heart — tell 
ing  her  that  Canek  was  no  more  and  all 
was  well.  Then  she  smiled,  for  the  vision 


198  Maya 

of  the  Christ  form  came  to  her,  bearing  her 
boy  aloft  through  the  myriads  of  bright 
stars  into  which  the  gleaming  cross  had 
melted,  and  she  reached  forth  and  took  her 
husband's  hand  and  said  to  him,  "  Now  let 
us  follow  them  !  " 

Thus  the  day  passed  and  the  long  night 
after  it,  through  which  the  phantoms  chased 
each  other  in  swift  succession  across  her 
troubled  soul.  And  Sandoval,  as  he  hung 
over  her  and  caressed  her,  prayed  no  longer 
that  she  might  recover,  but  only  that  her 
quiet  spirit  might  return,  that  she  might 
speak  with  him  those  final  words  that  are 
so  precious  in  the  hour  of  parting. 

Yet  what  need  even  of  this  ?  Had  not 
all  things  been  already  spoken  ?  What  fur 
ther  proof  could  she  give  of  a  love  that 
had  never  faltered ;  what  charge  to  one  who 
knew  during  a  life  of  utter  confidence  the 
inmost  longings  of  her  heart  ?  For  no  look 
nor  word  had  ever  been  put  off  till  the 
final  hour.  So  clear  had  been  her  life,  so 
single  was  her  heart,  that  her  husband  had 
shared  with  her  each  thought  and  wish, 
even  as  it  was  formed.  Yet  where  is  he 
who  does  not  ask  again  the  assurance  of 
affection  at  a  time  when  this  assurance 


Bereavement  199 

must  be  the  last  ?  So  Sandoval  hungered 
for  the  final  words  of  love. 

His  prayer  was  answered.  On  the  fol 
lowing  day,  though  she  was  very  weak, 
her  mind  was  clear  and  her  old  smile  came 
back  again. 

He  told  her  of  the  king's  forgiveness  and 
sought  to  cheer  her  with  dreams  of  the 
new  life  they  should  live  together  at  her 
father's  court;  but  the  voice  that  told  her 
this  was  choking,  for  he  knew  even  as  he 
spoke  that  it  could  never  be.  And  she 
answered: 

"Nay,  love,  not  there;  for  I  must  sleep 
a  little  with  my  child.  But  fear  not  —  I 
will  come  to  thee  as  I  have  promised,  and 
in  other  days  we  shall  still  dwell  together, 
not  at  Mani,  but  under  the  tree  of  life." 

And  while  she  spoke,  the  song  of  a 
bird,  an  oriole,  was  heard  without  the 
chamber.  She  knew  the  voice  and  listened, 
then,  as  it  ceased,  the  smile  upon  her  lips 
faded  and  the  soft  eyes  closed  in  death. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE  SONG 

THOU  wilt  ask  me,  reader,  why  it  is  that 
I  have  brought  my  tale  to  such  a  pass 
that  she  who  was  its  life  and  soul  should 
perish.  But  is  not  that  our  common  destiny  ? 
What  more  wilt  thou  have  than  a  score  of 
happy  years  with  one  thou  cherishest  ? 
However  brilliant  thy  career  or  proud  thy 
station,  thus  it  must  end.  Shall  it  be  thou 
or  thy  beloved  who  must  remain  the 
mourner  ?  Happy  the  souls  that  take  their 
flight  together  ! 

When  Maya  grew  still  and  cold  in  her 
husband's  arms,  the  light  of  the  sun  went 
out  with  her  and  all  things  became  grey 
in  dull  eclipse.  The  world  was  empty. 
When  his  child  died  she  had  been  at  his 
side  to  comfort  him.  But  now,  what  refuge 
was  there  anywhere  ? 


The  Song  201 

Dazed  as  he  was,  with  no  soft  eyes  to  call 
him  back  with  the  thought  "Thou  art  still 
with  me,"  he  became  the  prey  to  desperate 
resolutions.  At  first  he  determined  to  live 
no  longer.  He  would  join  her,  he  could 
not  remain  alone  behind.  But  something 
which  came  back  to  him  from  the  faith  of 
his  youth  warned  him  against  self-slaughter, 
and  he  gave  over  his  intent. 

One  day,  while  he  lay  alone  within  his 
chamber  hopeless  and  desolate,  he  saw  an 
oriole  flutter  through  the  doorway  and  light 
upon  a  strand  of  the  hammock  just  above 
his  head.  The  bird  seemed  to  hesitate, 
then  gathering  courage  it  began  to  sing, 
soft  and  low  at  first,  and  as  he  lay  quite 
still,  he  could  feel  it  draw  closer  and  even 
touch  his  face;  then  the  notes  were  clear 
and  strong,  until  at  last  he  knew  that  the 
soul  of  her  who  had  never  parted  from  him 
in  life  could  not  stay  away;  that  Ixtab  had 
changed  her  into  the  bird  and  she  had  come 
back  to  him  as  she  had  promised. 

A  wild  fancy  this,  thou  sayest  ?  But  in 
what  better  form  might  she  appear  ? 

My  love,  if  thou  shalt  return  from  death's 
dark  chamber,  come  not  back  to  me  with 
the  unknown  voice  of  a  stranger,  nor 


202  Maya 

speak  in  senseless  scrawls,  but  come  as  a 
bird  and  1  will  know  thee  and  caress  thee 
and  thy  notes  shall  be  a  thousand  times 
dearer  than  all  messages  that  may  be  sent 
through  alien  hands.  Love  needs  no  al 
phabet  nor  syllables.  A  glance  it  was  that 
awakened  the  first  throb  which  stirred  my 
breast.  Let  the  last  sound  that  soothes  it 
be  a  song  that  has  no  words  ! 

So  it  was  a  bird's  voice  that  brought  him 
back  to  earth;  and  each  morning,  when  he 
awoke  with  tearful  memories,  the  bird  flut 
tered  through  the  doorway  of  his  chamber 
and  sang  such  notes  as  came  never  from 
the  throat  of  oriole  before,  notes  filled  with 
sweetness,  until  life  grew  bright  again  and 
hope  sprang  once  more  into  his  breast. 

When  the  king  heard  of  Maya's  death 
his  heart  was  filled  with  sadness,  and  he 
sent  to  her  husband  asking  him  to  bring 
her  body  to  Mani  and  give  it  fitting  burial; 
but  Sandoval  would  not  have  it  so,  for  he 
had  laid  her  as  she  had  bidden  him,  by 
the  side  of  her  child,  nor  could  he  tear  him 
self  away  from  a  place  made  sacred  by 
precious  recollections. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 


SUBMISSION 


HE  lived  alone  for  many  years.  During 
that  time  great  things  were  happening 
in  Yucatan,  yet  he  heard  little  of  them,  for  the 
wars  and  disasters  that  followed  the  coming 
and  going  of  his  countrymen  did  not  disturb 
the  deep  calm  which  brooded  over  the  for 
saken  city  wherein  he  had  made  his  home.* 

*  In  1527,  after  Cordova  and  Grijalva  had  succes 
sively  been  driven  from  Yucatan,  Francisco  de  Mon- 
tejo,  who  had  been  authorised  by  Charles  V.  to 
colonise  the  land  and  make  slaves  of  the  natives  who 
resisted,  had  made  many  determined  efforts  to  get  a 
foothold  in  the  country.  He  had  fought  with  the  na 
tives  a  desperate  two  days'  battle  at  the  town  of  Ake, 
in  the  interior,  and  although  twelve  hundred  Indians 
were  killed,  the  invaders  were  merely  able  to  hold  the 
field  without  the  power  to  follow  the  retreating  foe. 

In  the  following  year  Montejo  established  a  small  set 
tlement  at  Chichen-Itza  ;  but  he  divided  his  forces, 
sending  his  lieutenant  Davila  to  Bacalal,  on  the  south- 
203 


204  Maya 

At  last  Ahpula  died,*  and  Sandoval  was 
summoned  to  the  obsequies.  The  body  of 
the  king,  seated  on  his  throne  and  clad  in 
royal  ornaments,  was  laid  away  in  the  tem 
ple,  his  heart  was  burned  with  precious 
perfumes,  the  ashes  were  kept  in  a  gold 
chalice,  the  priests  sang  his  praises  in 
poems  reciting  his  great  deeds,  and  a  new 
monarch,  a  distant  scion  of  the  house  of 
Tutul  Xiu,  followed  him  for  a  few  brief 
years  upon  the  throne. 

But  it  was  not  long  before  the  Spaniards 
came  once  more  to  Yucatan,  and  this  time 
they  came  to  stay. 

At  first  a  new  league  was  formed  against 
them,  but  after  a  fierce  battle  they  remained 
masters  of  the  field.  The  tribes,  greatly 
disheartened,  scattered  to  their  homes  and 

eastern  coast,  to  find  gold.  Those  who  remained 
behind  were  surrounded,  but  after  a  desperate  battle 
they  escaped  at  night,  tying  a  hungry  dog  to  the  tongue 
of  a  large  bell,  whose  ringing  deceived  the  natives 
while  the  white  men  fled  to  the  coast,  whence  they 
embarked  for  Campeche,  where  Montejo  was  joined  by 
Davila. 

But  this  settlement  at  Campeche  did  not  thrive,  and 
so  great  were  the  sufferings  of  the  colonists  that  they 
abandoned  the  peninsula. 

*  A.  D.  1536,  as  appears  from  the  Maya  Chronicle. 


Submission  205 

when,  in  1540,  the  Spaniards  founded  at 
Kimpech  the  city  of  San  Francisco  de 
Campeche  and  advanced  towards  Tiho,  a 
large  town  in  the  interior,  with  the  inten 
tion  of  there  establishing  their  capital,  the 
young  king  saw  that  further  resistance 
would  be  useless,  and  he  resolved,  by  ally 
ing  himself  with  the  invaders  and  ac 
knowledging  the  sovereignty  of  their 
distant  monarch,  to  make  the  best  terms 
possible  for  himself  and  his  subjects.  San- 
doval  was  often  called  to  the  councils  of 
the  new  king,  where  he  gave  always  the 
same  advice  —  urging  friendship  and  sub 
mission  to  the  strangers. 

Finally  in  January,  1541,  this  last  of  the 
Tutul  Xius,  followed  by  his  subject  lords, 
appeared  before  the  young  Montejo,  Adel- 
antado  of  Yucatan,  and  yielded  submission 
to  the  crown  of  Castile. 

He  was  borne  in  a  superb  litter  upon  the 
shoulders  of  his  nobles.  When  he  drew 
near  the  Spanish  leader,  he  descended,  cast 
to  the  ground  his  bow  and  arrow,  and 
raised  his  hands. 

His  followers  in  like  manner  laid  down 
their  arms  and  touched  their  fingers  to  the 
earth. 


206  Maya 

He  brought  food  to  the  Spaniards.  He 
knelt  before  the  cross  and  asked  them  to 
tell  him  of  their  faith.  He  stayed  long 
among  them,  and  upon  his  return  to  his 
own  city,  he  sought  to  bring  together  the 
other  tribes  and  make  them  friends  and 
vassals  to  the  crown  of  Spain. 

He  sent  messengers  to  many  —  among 
them  to  the  lords  of  Zotuta,  but  Nachi 
Cocom,  their  chief,  prepared  a  wild  boar 
hunt,  and  invited  the  king's  ambassadors, 
who,  when  they  gathered  for  a  feast  under 
a  great  sapote  tree,  were  slaughtered,  all 
but  one,  whose  eyes  were  put  out  and  who 
was  then  sent  back  to  Tutul  Xiu  to  tell 
what  answer  the  Cocomes  made  to  the 
base  proposal  that  they  should  bow  to 
the  yoke  of  the  stranger. 

But  the  resistance  of  the  Cocomes  lasted 
only  a  little  time,  and  in  1 542,  on  the  site 
of  the  Maya  city  of  Tiho,  Merida  was  es 
tablished  and  made  the  capital  of  the  Spanish 
colony. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE    ORIOLE 

SANDOVAL  now  received  from  the  king 
at  Mani  permission  to  go  to  his  country 
men  in  their  new  city. 

When  he  appeared,  they  were  greatly 
astonished  that  one  who  had  been  so  long 
in  the  land  had  come  to  them,  but  when 
men  questioned  him  as  to  his  past  life,  he 
answered  in  the  fewest  words  and  told  as 
little  as  he  might.  He  had  been  cast  ashore, 
he  said,  had  been  a  captive,  had  escaped 
the  doom  of  sacrifice,  had  been  a  slave  in  the 
tribe  of  Taxmar,  had  fled  and  gone  to  the 
king  at  Mani.  He  had  been  driven  from 
that  city  and  had  lived  almost  alone  at  Ux- 
mal  for  many  years. 

Of  Maya  he  spoke  not  a  word,  and  as  no 
man   had  a  clew   to   his  story,  little  was 
learned  of  what  had  befallen  him. 
207 


208  Maya 

The  natives  who  knew  of  the  episode  of 
his  brief  godship,  did  not  care  to  repeat 
the  tale  of  their  own  folly.  Moreover,  dur 
ing  the  lapse  of  years  much  had  been  for 
gotten,  so  there  was  little  talk  of  his  past 
career.  Some  of  his  countrymen  thought, 
indeed,  that  there  were  things  in  his  life 
which  he  wished  to  hide,  but  in  reality  his 
silence  was  due  mainly  to  the  fact  that  the 
events  of  the  past  had  been  laid  away  in 
one  of  the  precious  storehouses  of  memory, 
which  were  not  to  be  thrown  open  to  the 
world. 

He  dwelt  for  some  years  in  Merida  and 
became  a  leading  citizen  of  the  Spanish 
capital.  Important  matters  were  confided 
to  him,  for  he  knew  the  Maya  language 
and  the  Maya  ways  as  did  none  other  in 
this  infant  community,  and  when  the  colony 
had  been  well  established  and  land  for  a 
hacienda  had  been  given  to  him,  it  was 
expected  that  he  would  take  for  his  wife 
some  one  from  among  the  Spanish  families 
of  rank  and  station  who  had  migrated 
thither. 

Among  these  the  family  of  the  Count  of 
Millaflores  was  perhaps  the  leading  one  in 
the  new  society  of  Yucatan.  His  daughter, 


The  Oriole  209 

"Maria  de  la  Conception,"  or  "  Con- 
chita  "  as  she  was  called  by  her  intimates, 
was  a  beautiful  and  accomplished  maiden 
of  eighteen  summers.  Although  Sandoval 
was  now  of  middle  age,  he  was  still  a  man 
of  handsome  figure  and  fine  presence,  with 
a  romantic  past,  and  more  than  all  he  was 
in  prosperous  circumstances.  It  was  not 
therefore  surprising  that  when  his  eyes  fell 
upon  the  damsel,  she  returned  his  interest 
and  loved  him  "for  the  dangers  he  had 
passed"  with  a  devotion  perhaps  greater 
than  that  which  he  had  sought  to  awaken. 

So  quickly  do  we  forget  past  associations 
when  their  objects  are  no  longer  at  our 
side,  that  almost  before  he  realised  it  he 
was  betrothed  and  the  time  was  set  for  the 
wedding. 

The  day  before  the  appointed  ceremony 
he  was  taking  his  afternoon  siesta  in  the 
garden  of  his  hacienda.  The  surroundings 
of  his  new  abode  had  been  laid  out  with 
care.  The  copse  had  been  cleared  away, 
but  there  were  great  palms  that  waved 
their  long  leaves  above  him,  and  a  majestic 
ceiba,  a  little  way  off,  stirred  its  green 
branches  in  the  wind  before  his  eyes,  as  he 
reclined  in  his  hammock  and  listened  to 


210  Maya 

the  dripping  of  the  water  that  fell  into  an 
artificial  pool  near  at  hand. 

Yet  in  spite  of  his  prosperous  surround 
ings  he  was  not  happy.  A  vague  unrest 
troubled  him  which  his  recollections  of  the 
smiles  and  bright  eyes  of  Conchita  could 
not  drive  away. 

Suddenly  he  heard  in  the  branches  of  the 
ceiba  the  song  of  an  oriole, —  the  same,  as 
it  seemed  to  him,  that  had  perched  upon 
his  hammock  at  Uxmal  and  sung  to  him  in 
his  lonely  chamber. 

He  arose  and  walked  quickly  through 
the  garden.  He  sought  to  stifle  the  re 
morse  which  the  song  awakened.  Surely 
the  link  between  Maya  and  the  bird  was  no 
more  than  fancy  !  The  wedding  was  set 
for  the  morrow  and  he  could  not  break 
faith  with  his  affianced  bride. 

Yet  the  memory  of  the  song  haunted  him 
all  through  the  sleepless  night,  and  he 
thought  he  could  see  the  flutter  of  wings 
athwart  the  moon  as  it  rose  behind  the 
ceiba. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


THE    NUPTIALS 


IT  was  in  a  grove  outside  the  city  of 
Merida  that  the  nuptials  of  Sandoval  and 
his  young  bride  were  to  be  solemnised,  for 
the  foundations  of  the  cathedral  had  just 
been  laid  and  no  church  had  yet  been  built 
of  sufficient  size  to  hold  the  throng.  An 
altar  had  been  raised  upon  a  small  eminence 
overlooking  the  town,  and  many  dignitaries 
of  the  church  officiated.  The  new  bishop  of 
the  province  was  to  receive  the  sacred  vows. 

The  Spaniards  in  the  city  had  come  forth 
in  great  numbers,  and  upon  the  outskirts  of 
the  assemblage  were  multitudes  of  natives, 
drawn  thither  from  curiosity  to  see  the 
spectacle. 

The  solemn  chant  of  the  priests  and  aco 
lytes  had  ended,  and  in  the  silence  that  fol 
lowed,  just  before  the  final  vows  which 


211 


212  Maya 

were  to  unite  Sandoval  with  his  destined 
bride,  there  was  heard  the  voice  of  a  bird  ; 
and  an  oriole  which  had  been  fluttering  in 
the  air  now  descended  and  perched  upon 
the  hand  that  held  the  ring. 

The  apparition  startled  even  the  by 
standers,  for  never  before  had  they  seen  a 
bird  of  the  forest  so  daring. 

But  Sandoval  alone  knew  its  meaning. 
A  deathly  pallor  fell  upon  his  face.  The 
scenes  of  his  past  life  thronged  back  to 
him.  The  present  became  a  puppet  show  — 
a  dream.  It  was  only  that  past  which  had 
reality  —  the  time  when  Maya  had  told  him 
of  the  great  tree  in  paradise  —  the  time  when 
he  had  sworn  never  to  forget  and  had  in 
voked  upon  himself  the  most  terrible  curses 
if  his  heart  should  beat  for  any  other  than 
his  Maya  bride.  And  her  words  echoed  in 
his  ears  :  "If  thou  shouldst  seek  another, 
my  voice  would  choke  and  my  wings 
would  droop  and  I  would  hide  from  thee 
and  mourn." 

And  now  indeed  the  poor  bird  had  hid 
den  in  the  folds  of  his  garments  and  the 
voice  which  called  to  him  was  choking 
with  despair. 

Then  his   own   words  of  aforetime  re- 


The  Nuptials  213 

sounded  in  his  ear  as  if  echo  had  been 
chased  to  her  innermost  sanctuary  : 

"Nay,  I  will  never  leave  thee,  neither  in 
earth  nor  in  heaven  nor  amid  the  pains  of 
hell!  Wherever  thou  art,  there  will  I  be 
also.  Beneath  the  great  tree  we  will  dwell 
together,  and  thy  gods  and  thy  paradise 
they  shall  be  mine  ! " 

Just  as  the  final  words  wSSput  to  him, 
just  as  his  lips  were  opening  to  pronounce 
the  vows,  he  fell. 

Every  effort  to  arouse  him  was  in  vain, 
and  it  was  soon  clear  that  he  had  passed 
beyond  all  human  aid. 

Great  was  the  consternation,  the  assem 
bly  broke  up  in  disorder  and  none  could 
understand  the  cause  of  his  sudden  death. 
Some  said,  indeed,  that  it  was  a  retribution 
come  upon  him  for  deeds  of  wickedness 
during  his  unknown  life  in  the  wilder 
ness. 

Apoplexy,  the  doctors  called  it,  and  so 
no  doubt  it  was. 

And  those  of  his  household  bore  him 
back  to  his  own  home.  Preparations  were 
made  for  his  burial  with  all  due  rites,  for 
Mother  Church  allowed  him  a  resting-place 
in  holy  ground. 


214 


Maya 


But  those  who  entered  his  chamber 
noticed  that  two  orioles  that  had  been  sing 
ing  in  the  window  took  their  flight  to  the 
great  ceiba  which  shaded  the  mansion. 
There  the  song  of  the  birds  resounded 
loud  and  clear,  and  at  last  side  by  side  they 
spread  their  wings  and  soared  away  to 
gether  into  the  blue  sky. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

CONCLUSION 

/^ONCHITA  was  swiftly  consoled,  for 
\^4  a  younger  and  wealthier  man  soon 
took  the  place  of  the  one  who  had  so  sud 
denly  failed  her. 

The  Spanish  power  in  Yucatan  was  grad 
ually  consolidated  and  the  natives,  reduced 
to  vassalage,  were  treated  with  that  cruelty 
which  has  been  the  shame  of  Spanish  do 
minion  everywhere. 

The  chiefs  of  Peten-Itza  in  their  island 
stronghold  maintained  their  independence 
for  some  time  longer,  but  toward  the  end 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  Tayasal  too 
was  carried  by  assault  and  given  to  the 
flames,  and  a  great  part  of  its  population 
was  put  to  the  sword. 

The  manuscripts  of  the  Mayas  were  de 
stroyed  by  order  of  the  new  bishop,  and 
215 


2 1 6  Maya 

many  of  the  temples  were  torn  down  and 
the  stones  used  in  the  construction  of  new 
cities.  Yet  Uxmal,  which  had  been  already 
deserted  when  the  invaders  came,  was  suf 
fered  to  remain,  neglected  by  Maya  and 
Spaniard  alike,  and  its  great  buildings  stand 
to-day  the  brightest  illustrations  of  the 
splendour  of  aboriginal  art. 

He  who  looks  forth  from  their  terraces 
over  the  waste  of  wilderness  finds  himself 
asking,  "  Where  is  the  great  metropolis  of 
which  this  group  of  palaces  and  temples 
was  once  the  crown  and  diadem  ?  Where 
is  the  Moscow  of  which  this  was  the 
Kremlin,  the  Athens  of  which  this  was  the 
Acropolis  ?  Where  is  the  multitude  to  gaze 
upon  the  royal  pomp  of  which  this  was  the 
setting?" 

Ere  the  chill  of  night  shall  come,  let  us 
climb  the  steep  ruined  steps  that  lead  to  the 
House  of  the  Diviner.  Yet  take  heed  ! 
One  slip  will  send  thee  headlong.  At  the 
top,  the  wind  blows  hard  and  we  must 
steal  cautiously  through  the  arched  cham 
bers,  from  whose  doorways  the  magicians 
used  to  read  the  stars  and  foretell  all  things. 
A  good  place  this  for  the  Black  Art  even 
now,  if  the  Black  Art  can  find  a  refuge 


Conclusion  217 


anywhere.    jrh 

feetjmd  a  great  past  speaks  to  us  in  inar 

ticulate.  arrents  : 

"Such  was  I  —  such  am  I  to-day.  And 
you  who  despise  my  gods  and  my  kings 
and  my  prophets  —  you  who  say  that  I  am 
the  work  of  the  savage  —  how  will  men 
speak  of  you  after  the  centuries  shall  have 
rolled  over  your  heads  and  some  'higher 
civilisation'  shall  have  risen  on  the  ruins 
of  your  own  ?  Will  the  future  know  more 
of  you  than  you  know  of  the  builders  of 
Uxmal  ?  Are  you  wiser  and  worthier  than 
they?" 


L'ENVOI 

Wilt  thou  say,  reader,  that  the  story  I  have 
told  thee  is  incredible,  that  in  our  Western 
world  there  were  no  lands  so  weird,  no 
caverns  so  fantastical,  no  ruins  so  majestic, 
no  pomp  and  pageantry  like  that  I  have  de 
scribed  ? 

I  answer  thee  that  I  have  seen  them  all. 
I  have  trod  the  terraces  and  chambers  of  the 
palaces,  I  have  lain  in  the  shadows  of 
the  senotes  and  dipped  my  hot  palms  in 
the  cool  waters  of  the  pools  :  I  have  seen 
with  the  eye  of  history  the  battles,  the 
sacrifices,  the  stately  ceremonies.  All  but 
the  living  actors  were  before  me. 

And  the  chief  of  these,  I  know  her  too. 
For  if  thou  sayest  that  no  Maya  ever  lived, 
I  will  tell  thee  that  I  have  walked  at  her 
side  for  many  years. 

She  is  of  another  race  indeed,  born  un 
der  colder  skies,  but  her  face  and  form  and 
bearing,  her  gentleness,  her  constancy,  and 
her  unflinching  heart,  these  are  the  same. 
218 


Maya 


2IQ 


The  birds  alone  are  the  children  of  fancy, 
and  if  their  notes  shall  not  be  heard  in  the 
dim  future  of  which  we  dream  so  much  and 
know  so  little,  who  shall  come  back  from 
that  untrodden  realm  to  tell  me  I  am  wrong, 
and  who  shall  say  that  Maya's  paradise  is 
not  as  bright  a  goal  tor  longing  hopes  as 
gates  of  pearl  and  streets  of  gold  andlhe 
"eternal  monotony  of  twanging  harps  around 
Ifgreat  white  throne  ? 


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